Associate Professor Karen Cheney
Associate Professor

Karen Cheney

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 57071

Background

A/ Prof. Karen Cheney is a marine ecologist employing a multidisciplinary approach to explore predator-prey interactions, animal signalling, and the fundamental principles behind the evolution and function of animal colour patterns. Her research spans sensory, behavioral, and chemical marine ecology, with a particular focus on marine fish and molluscs. She co-leads the Marine Sensory Ecology Group at UQ.

She is also the Academic Director of the Moreton Bay Research Station, where she is oversees the teaching and research conducted at the station. She also co-leads research projects on understanding the ecosystem services of shellfish reef restoration, and the conservation of the threatened seahorse, Hippocampus whitei, in SE Queensland. She is also the Deputy Director of the Centre for Marine Science.

Animal Signalling: She focuses on the evolution of animal signals in the marine environment, particularly those used for camouflage and warning signals (aposematism). Her research employs spectrophotometry, theoretical vision models, phylogenetic comparative analysis, and a novel method using a calibrated underwater camera system to analyse complex animal colour patterns. This innovative approach enables simultaneous in-situ collection of spatial and spectral properties of animals and their backgrounds. She specifically investigates the diversity of colour signals displayed by nudibranch molluscs, examining how these patterns are perceived by potential predators and their relationship to the unpalatability and toxicity of the molluscs’ stored chemical defences.

Colour Vision: She studies the visual performance of coral reef fish using behavioural assays inspired by tests used to screen for human color vision deficiencies. By relating behavioural data to theoretical visual modelling, she assesses the accuracy of these models. More broadly, she explores the sensory, neural, and cognitive foundations of colour perception and investigates the genetic basis for the diversification of visual systems.

Availability

Associate Professor Karen Cheney is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Biological Sciences Ecology Zoology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Manchester
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education, The University of Queensland

Search Professor Karen Cheney’s works on UQ eSpace

131 works between 1999 and 2025
All (131) Journal Article (107) Book Chapter (4) Conference Publication (6) Other Outputs (14)

21 - 40 of 131 works

Featured

2019

Journal Article

An Ishihara-style test of animal colour vision

Cheney, Karen L., Green, Naomi F., Vibert, Alexander P., Vorobyev, Misha, Marshall, N. Justin, Osorio, Daniel C. and Endler, John A. (2019). An Ishihara-style test of animal colour vision. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 222 (1) jeb189787, jeb189787. doi: 10.1242/jeb.189787

An Ishihara-style test of animal colour vision

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Colours and colour vision in reef fishes: past, present and future research directions

Marshall, N.J., Cortesi, F., De Busserolles, F., Siebeck, U.E. and Cheney, K.L. (2018). Colours and colour vision in reef fishes: past, present and future research directions. Journal of Fish Biology, 95 (1) jfb.13849, 5-38. doi: 10.1111/jfb.13849

Colours and colour vision in reef fishes: past, present and future research directions

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Pattern edges improve predator learning of aposematic signals

Green, Naomi F., Urquhart, Holly H., van den Berg, Cedric P., Marshall, N. Justin and Cheney, Karen L (2018). Pattern edges improve predator learning of aposematic signals. Behavioral Ecology, 29 (6), 1481-1486. doi: 10.1093/beheco/ary089

Pattern edges improve predator learning of aposematic signals

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Toxicity and taste: unequal chemical defences in a mimicry ring

Winters, Anne E., Wilson, Nerida G., van den Berg, Cedric P., How, Martin J., Endler, John A., Marshall, N. Justin, White, Andrew M., Garson, Mary J. and Cheney, Karen L. (2018). Toxicity and taste: unequal chemical defences in a mimicry ring. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285 (1880) 20180457, 20180457. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0457

Toxicity and taste: unequal chemical defences in a mimicry ring

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Distribution of defensive metabolites in nudibranch molluscs

Winters, Anne E., White, Andrew M., Dewi, Ariyanti S., Mudianta, I. Wayan, Wilson, Nerida G., Forster, Louise C., Garson, Mary J. and Cheney, Karen L. (2018). Distribution of defensive metabolites in nudibranch molluscs. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 44 (4), 384-396. doi: 10.1007/s10886-018-0941-5

Distribution of defensive metabolites in nudibranch molluscs

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Nudibranchs

Cheney, Karen L. and Wilson, Nerida G. (2018). Nudibranchs. Current Biology : CB, 28 (1), R4-R5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.060

Nudibranchs

Featured

2017

Journal Article

Stabilizing selection on individual pattern elements of aposematic signals

Winters, Anne E., Green, Naomi F., Wilson, Nerida G., How, Martin J., Garson, Mary J., Marshall, N. Justin and Cheney, Karen L. (2017). Stabilizing selection on individual pattern elements of aposematic signals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284 (1861) 20170926, 20170926. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0926

Stabilizing selection on individual pattern elements of aposematic signals

Featured

2017

Journal Article

The evolution of fangs, venom, and mimicry systems in blenny fishes

Casewell, Nicholas R., Visser, Jeroen C., Baumann, Kate, Dobson, James, Han, Han, Kuruppu, Sanjaya, Morgan, Michael, Romilio, Anthony, Weisbecker, Vera, Ali, Syed A., Debono, Jordan, Koludarov, Ivan, Que, Ivo, Bird, Gregory C., Cooke, Gavan M., Nouwens, Amanda, Hodgson, Wayne C., Wagstaff, Simon C., Cheney, Karen L., Vetter, Irina, van der Weerd, Louise, Richardson, Michael K. and Fry, Bryan G. (2017). The evolution of fangs, venom, and mimicry systems in blenny fishes. Current Biology, 27 (8), 1184-1191. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.067

The evolution of fangs, venom, and mimicry systems in blenny fishes

Featured

2017

Journal Article

Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals and defensive weapons in aquatic environments

Giordano, Giuseppe, Carbone, Marianna, Ciavatta, Maria Letizia, Silvano, Eleonora, Gavagnin, Margherita, Garson, Mary J., Cheney, Karen L., Mudianta, I Wayan, Russo, Giovanni Fulvio, Villani, Guido, Magliozzi, Laura, Polese, Gianluca, Zidorn, Christian, Cutignano, Adele, Fontana, Angelo, Ghiselin, Michael T. and Mollo, Ernesto (2017). Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals and defensive weapons in aquatic environments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114 (13), 3451-3456. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1614655114

Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals and defensive weapons in aquatic environments

Featured

2017

Journal Article

Fish use colour to learn compound visual signals

Newport, Cait, Green, Naomi F., McClure, Eva C. , Osorio, Daniel C., Vorobyev, Misha, Marshall, N. Justin and Cheney, Karen L. (2017). Fish use colour to learn compound visual signals. Animal Behaviour, 125, 93-100. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.01.003

Fish use colour to learn compound visual signals

Featured

2016

Journal Article

Coral reef fish perceive lightness illusions

Simpson, Elisha E., Marshall, N. Justin and Cheney, Karen L. (2016). Coral reef fish perceive lightness illusions. Scientific Reports, 6 (1) 35335, 35335.1-35335.5. doi: 10.1038/srep35335

Coral reef fish perceive lightness illusions

Featured

2016

Journal Article

Choose your weaponry: selective storage of a single toxic compound, Latrunculin A, by closely related nudibranch molluscs

Cheney, Karen L., White, Andrew, Mudianta, I. Wayan, Winters, Anne E., Quezada, Michelle, Capon, Robert J., Mollo, Ernesto and Garson, Mary J. (2016). Choose your weaponry: selective storage of a single toxic compound, Latrunculin A, by closely related nudibranch molluscs. PLoS One, 11 (1) A1222, 1-16. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145134

Choose your weaponry: selective storage of a single toxic compound, Latrunculin A, by closely related nudibranch molluscs

Featured

2015

Journal Article

Phenotypic Plasticity Confers Multiple Fitness Benefits to a Mimic

Cortesi, Fabio, Feeney, William E., Ferrari, Maud C. O., Waldie, Peter A., Phillips, Genevieve A. C., McClure, Eva C., Skold, Helen N., Salzburger, Walter, Marshall, N. Justin and Cheney, Karen L. (2015). Phenotypic Plasticity Confers Multiple Fitness Benefits to a Mimic. Current Biology, 25 (7), 949-954. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.013

Phenotypic Plasticity Confers Multiple Fitness Benefits to a Mimic

Featured

2015

Journal Article

Ancestral duplications and highly dynamic opsin gene evolution in percomorph fishes

Cortesi, Fabio, Musilová, Zuzana, Stieb, Sara M., Hart, Nathan S., Siebeck, Ulrike E., Malmstrøm, Martin, Tørresen, Ole K., Jentoft, Sissel, Cheney, Karen L., Marshall, N. Justin, Carleton, Karen L. and Salzburger, Walter (2015). Ancestral duplications and highly dynamic opsin gene evolution in percomorph fishes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112 (5), 1493-1498. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1417803112

Ancestral duplications and highly dynamic opsin gene evolution in percomorph fishes

Featured

2013

Journal Article

Colour vision and response bias in a coral reef fish

Cheney, Karen L., Newport, Cait, McClure, Eva C. and Marshall, N. Justin (2013). Colour vision and response bias in a coral reef fish. Journal of Experimental Biology, 216 (15), 2967-2973. doi: 10.1242/jeb.087932

Colour vision and response bias in a coral reef fish

Featured

2009

Journal Article

Blue and yellow signal cleaning behaviour in coral reef fishes

Cheney, Karen L., Grutter, Alexandra S., Blomberg, Simon P. and Marshall, N. Justin (2009). Blue and yellow signal cleaning behaviour in coral reef fishes. Current Biology, 19 (15), 1283-1287. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.06.028

Blue and yellow signal cleaning behaviour in coral reef fishes

2025

Other Outputs

Supplementary: Damsels in Disguise, published in Molecular Ecology 2025

Tettamanti, Valerio, Cortesi, Fabio and Cheney, Karen (2025). Supplementary: Damsels in Disguise, published in Molecular Ecology 2025. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/3549de2

Supplementary: Damsels in Disguise, published in Molecular Ecology 2025

2025

Journal Article

Damsels in Disguise: Development of Ultraviolet Sensitivity and Colour Patterns in Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Tettamanti, Valerio, Marshall, N. Justin, Cheney, Karen L. and Cortesi, Fabio (2025). Damsels in Disguise: Development of Ultraviolet Sensitivity and Colour Patterns in Damselfishes (Pomacentridae). Molecular Ecology, 34 (6) e17680, e17680. doi: 10.1111/mec.17680

Damsels in Disguise: Development of Ultraviolet Sensitivity and Colour Patterns in Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

2025

Journal Article

The blue advantage: a novel blue carotenoprotein pigment in the tropical seastar Linckia laevigata is an antioxidant defence against extreme environmental stress

Williams, Suzanne T., Heyworth, Stephanie M., Kano, Yasunori, Roberts, Nicholas W., Carter, Hugh F. and Cheney, Karen L. (2025). The blue advantage: a novel blue carotenoprotein pigment in the tropical seastar Linckia laevigata is an antioxidant defence against extreme environmental stress. Marine Biology, 172 (2) 31, 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s00227-025-04595-7

The blue advantage: a novel blue carotenoprotein pigment in the tropical seastar Linckia laevigata is an antioxidant defence against extreme environmental stress

2024

Journal Article

Chemical defences indicate bold colour patterns with reduced variability in aposematic nudibranchs

van den Berg, Cedric P., Santon, Matteo, Endler, John A., Drummond, Leon, Dawson, Bethany R., Santiago, Carl, Weber, Nathalie and Cheney, Karen L. (2024). Chemical defences indicate bold colour patterns with reduced variability in aposematic nudibranchs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291 (2027) 20240953, 20240953. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0953

Chemical defences indicate bold colour patterns with reduced variability in aposematic nudibranchs

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2026
    Understanding the threats to the endangered seahorse, Hippocampus whitei, in south-east Queensland
    Threatened Species Research Grants
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2019 - 2024
    `Super-human' colour vision: how does it improve animal visual performance?
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2019
    A versatile accurate mass, high resolution QTOF mass spectrometer for chemistry and proteomic applications
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Imaging Mass Spectrometry at Higher Mass Resolution
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    A New Framework for the Analysis of Animal Colour Patterns
    Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment
    Open grant
  • 2016
    Integrative blood coagulation research core facility
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    How different is different: highly contrasting colours in animal patterns
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Understanding colour and chemical diversity in marine molluscs
    The Australia and Pacific Science Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2016
    The evolution of coloured visual signals in marine organisms: a new approach to solving an old, unanswered problem
    UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    The functions of reef fish colour patterns: how did the coral trout get its spots?
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    The role of bright colours in marine nudibranchs: aposematic or camouflage?
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    Are conspicuous colours related to defensive chemicals in marine nudibranchs?
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2011
    The function and maintenance of aggressive mimics: the cleaner fish - fangblenny system
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Karen Cheney is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the highly complex visual systems of seahorses and implications for conservation measures.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Wen-Sung Chung, Dr Fabio Cortesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cohabitation and hybridization in anemonefishes: behaviour, ecology, and exploring restoration

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi, Dr JP Hobbs

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cohabitation and hybridization in anemonefish: behaviour, ecology, and strategies for mitigation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi, Dr JP Hobbs

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Colour Vision in Coral Reef Fish with Five Cone Spectral Sensitivities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Wen-Sung Chung, Dr Fabio Cortesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cohabitation and hybridization in anemonefish: behaviour, ecology, and strategies for mitigation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi, Dr JP Hobbs

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the highly complex visual systems of seahorses and implications for conservation measures.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Wen-Sung Chung, Dr Fabio Cortesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Colour Vision in Coral Reef Fish with Five Cone Spectral Sensitivities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Wen-Sung Chung, Dr Fabio Cortesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cohabitation and hybridization in anemonefishes: behaviour, ecology, and exploring restoration

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi, Dr JP Hobbs

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The perception and function of marine colour patterns by reef fish predators

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The perception and function of marine colour patterns by reef fish predators

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Genomics of Hybridization and Introgression in Anemonefishes: Implications for Conservation and Evolutionary Dynamics

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr JP Hobbs, Professor Cynthia Riginos

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Colour vision plasticity of coral reef fish in a changing world

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Colour vision plasticity of coral reef fish in a changing world

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Climate change and the genetic consequences of hybridisation in clownfishes

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr JP Hobbs, Professor Cynthia Riginos

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Plasticity in the visual systems of coral reef fishes

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fabio Cortesi

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Karen Cheney directly for media enquiries about:

  • cleaner fish biology
  • colour signalling in marine organisms
  • Coral reef fish behaviour
  • mimicry

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