Light-harvesting photosynthetic bile pigment-protein from the phycobiliprotein complex (phycobilisome, PBS). Phycocyanin is the major phycobiliprotein in the PBS rod. Heterodimer of an alpha and a beta chain, which further assembles into trimers and the trimers into hexamers (By similarity). Part of 2 PBS rod complexes, the conventional PBS rod and a photosystem I-specific CpcL-PBS rod (PubMed:24550276). Part of the phycobilisome rod. Contains one covalently linked phycocyanobilin chromophore. Belongs to the phycobiliprotein family.