ABSTRACT

A collection of Brachionus rotifer diapausing eggs is described. These eggs are desiccated and frozen, with a shelf life of many years. Diapausing eggs can be hatched by hydrating for 24 hours, yielding hatchlings suitable for many applications in comparative biology, aquaculture, and ecotoxicology. Rotifer diapause eggs can be inexpensively shipped globally, making live rotifers of these species available on demand to virtually all researchers. The ease of this “no culture” system is expected to enhance the attractiveness of rotifers as models for investigations in basic and applied biology. The Brachionus diapause egg collection makes a range of rotifer biodiversity easily accessible to aquaculturists in a form that is cost-effective, reliable, and free of contaminants.