Stichopus monotuberculatus is one of the most valuable tropical sea cucumbers, with high edible, medical and ecological values. In this study, the spawning of S. monotuberculatus was induced by a modified low-temperature stimulation method. Gonadal maturation, and embryonic, larval and juvenile development were described in detail, and larval breeding was improved by diets supplemented with multiple digestive enzymes. July-September resulted as the optimal breeding period of S. monotuberculatus in Hainan Province, China. Low-temperature stimulation was more suitable than traditional dry stimulation as a method for artificially inducing S. monotuberculatus spawning since its low mortality, whose fertilized eggs took approximately 21 days to develop into juveniles. Compared to the control group, the diets with 2 mg/L α-amylase, 2 mg/L cellulase and 5 μL/L trehalase added increased the larval survival rates at 6 days by 21.37 ± 0.054%, 22.57 ± 0.088% and 29.83 ± 0.105%, respectively, and at 10 days by 24.2 ± 0.094%, 30.02 ± 0.152% and 36.44 ± 0.052%, respectively. For the larval settlement rate, supplement of 1 mg/L α-amylase, 1 mg/L cellulase and 5 μL/L trehalase in the diet could cause 5.30 ± 0.521-fold, 2.86 ± 0.521-fold and 4.66 ± 0.656-fold improvements relative to the control group, respectively. This study may contribute an advanced method for the large-scale artificial breeding and sustainable artificial culture of S. monotuberculatus. • July-September is the optimal breeding period of S. monotuberculatus in China. • Embryonic and larval development was recorded in detail. • Low-temperature stimulation was better than dry stimulation in induced spawning. • Larvae survival and settlement rates were increased by adding digestive enzymes in diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]