Background. Astaxanthin is the most important and expensive carotenoid pigment used in aquaculture. Its commercial attractiveness is also related with its antioxidant potential. Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous yeast is considered to be promising for commercial production of astaxanthin. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of the growth and astaxanthin production by X. dendrorhous strains on media containing xylose under different illumination. Material and methods. X. dendrorhous DSM 5626 and its mutants: 10BE and 26UV were used in this study. The cultures were carried out on hydrolysed rye stillage (HS) and YM medium with xylose (YM-K). Cell concentration, total carotenoid and...