AbstractAnacystis nidulanswas grown at two different levels of white light, 7 and50 W.m−2. The cells were disrupted through French press treatment, and phycocyanin‐free photosynthetic lamellae were obtained from the homogenate by fractionated centrifugation. Comparative absorption studies of the lamellae revealed that high intensity gave an increased carotenoid content relative to chlorophylla. The spectral characteristics of the cell‐free supernatants were also analysed. The high light intensity gave increased contents of both pteridines (410 nm) and allophycocyanin (655 nm) compared with the contents in algae grown at the low light