Glycerol was studied as a substrate for astaxanthin by Phaffia rhodozyma PR 190. With co-utilisation of yeast extract and peptone, the maximum specific growth rate was 0.24 +/- 0.02 h(-1). Astaxanthin percentage in total pigment is constant (0.78 mg/g) and its yield from glycerol is always 0.97 mg/g. The yield of biomass from glycerol alone is 0.50 +/- 0.02 g/g. The specific rate of astaxanthin production versus the cell growth rate reached a maximum for an optimal specific growth rate of 0.075 h(-1). For this optimal value, the maximum specific astaxanthin production rate is 0.09 +/- 0.01 mg/g.h. The best astaxanthin results were : 33.7 mg/l, 10.2 mg/l.h and 1.8 mg/g yeast after a fermentation term of 168 hours. Our results suggest a strategy of astaxanthin production in fed batch culture or chemostat at a growth rate of 0.075 h(-1).