Continuous cultures, i.e. chemostats with an continuous
dilution rate, are model ecosystems for the study of general
regulation principles in plankton communities.
Further to an introduction, general continuous culture
methods and especially the characteristics of rotifer
continuousculture systems are presented. Sections on
metabolism and energetics in chemostats, growth models,
competition and predator-prey interactions, as well as the
application of rotifer continuous cultures to ecotoxicology
and their use in aquaculture are included.