To assess the inherent effects of light-dark cycle on the aniline degradation and nitrogen removal in algal-bacterial symbiotic system, three groups with different photoperiods (0L:12D;6L:6D;12L:0D) were set up. The results revealed that the aniline degradation rate of the three systems all surpassed 99 %, the total nitrogen removal rate of Z2-6L:6D was approximately 36 % higher than Z1-0L:12D eventually, the Z1-0L:12D was restrained by NH4+-N assimilation and nitrification while anoxic denitrification in Z3-12L:0D. The disappearance of microalgae biomass was accompanied by the sharp decreased of polysaccharide in Z1 and longer illumination suppressed the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances, the Z3 yielded slightly superior biomass production despite the double illumination compared with Z2. Moreover, high throughput sequencing analysis illustrated that the microbial community structure in Z2 was more abundant and even than Z3, the TM7a, norank_f__norank_o__Saccharimonadales, Ellin6067 and Scenedesmus proliferated wildly and the photoinhibition to functional genus was effectively alleviated in Z2.