GROWTH OF JUVENILE ACTINOPYGA-MAURITIANA (HOLOTHUROIDEA) IN CAPTIVITY

The growth of juvenile (less than 10g) Actinopyga mauritiana was exami ned at three different levels of stocking biomass; low (26g m(-2)), me dium (130g m(-2)), high (260g m(-2)), and two 'feeding regimes' (remov ing or not removing faeces from grow-out tanks) for 12 months. Growth was monitored monthly using 'fresh weights', which were taken after ma ximum contraction and expulsion of cloacal water. Mean growth was high est at low stocking biomass (10.4g fresh weight per month +/- 1.49 S.E .), but ceased once total biomass reached 250-300g m(-2). Growth at me dium stocking biomass was much reduced compared to that at low biomass , and was negligible at the high biomass. The cessation of growth at l ow stocking biomass, and reduced growth at higher levels, was due to o vergrazing of suitable algal food. Leaving faeces in grow-out tanks in creased growth significantly once algal food became limiting, indicati ng that faeces can provide supplementary nutrition for A. mauritiana i n captivity, probably via greater availability of bacteria. We conclud e that juvenile A. mauritiana caught from the wild have potential for culture if individuals are stocked initially at around 26g m(-2). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.