To efficiently obtain lycopene-contg. algae useful as a health food, food colorant, food material, or the like without inhibiting its proliferation by heterotrophic culture of algae proliferable by heterotrophic culture in a medium containing a lycopene cyclase inhibitor.

The lycopene-contg. algae useful as a health food, food colorant, food material, or the like is efficiently obtained without inhibiting its proliferation by heterotrophic culture of algae proliferable by heterotrophic culture (e.g. chlorella) in a medium containing a lycopene cyclase inhibitor consisting of at least one kind selected from nicotine, N,N-dimethyl-2-phenylziridinium (DPA), 2-(4-chlorophenylthio)-triethylamine (CPTA), 2-(4-methylphenyl)- triethylamine (MPTA), azasqualene, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, and the like.