The growth of juvenile (less than 10g) Actinopyga mauritiana was examined at three different levels of stocking biomass; low (26 g m - 2 ), medium (130 g m - 2 ), high (260 g m - 2 ), and two feeding regimes (removing or not removing faeces from grow-out tanks) for 12 months. Growth was monitored monthly using fresh weights , which were taken after maximum contraction and expulsion of cloacal water. Mean growth was highest at low stocking biomass (10.4 g fresh weight per month ± 1.49 S.E.), but ceased once total biomass reached 250-300 g m - 2 . Growth at medium stocking biomass was much reduced compared to that at low biomass, and was negligible at the high biomass. The cessation of growth at low stocking biomass, and reduced growth at higher levels, was due to overgrazing of suitable algal food. Leaving faeces in grow-out tanks increased growth significantly once algal food became limiting, indicating that faeces can provide supplementary nutrition for A. mauritiana in captivity, probably via greater availability of bacteria. We conclude that juvenile A. mauritiana caught from the wild have potential for culture if individuals are stocked initially at around 26 g m - 2 .