Dr Christian Drerup

Background:

I have joined Magdalen College as a Fellow by Examination in Biology in April 2026 after finishing a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Durham University.

I completed my PhD in Zoology at the University of Cambridge, after receiving a M.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of Algarve (Portugal) and a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Kiel (Germany).

Research:

To make informed decision and increase their fitness, animals rely on detecting, localising, and extracting information from their environment through their sensory systems. My research specialises in understanding how animals perceive sensory information in their environment, how this information is processed and translated into behavioural traits and strategies, and how animals exploit perceptual constraints in the visual systems of other animals for their own survival. I am particularly interested in the ‘visual arms race’ between predators and prey, i.e. which adaptations animals have evolved to detect predators and prey, especially in perceptually challenging environments, and how animals use visual camouflage techniques to remain undetected and avoid predation.

Selected Publications:

• Drerup C, How MJ, Herbert-Read JE (2025) Visual contrast from background features and dynamic illumination contributes to three-dimensional camouflage in cuttlefish. Journal of Experimental Biology 228, jeb249713.
• Drerup C, Garcia-Pelegrin E, Wilkins C, Herbert-Read JE, Clayton NS (2025) Tactical deception in cephalopods: A new framework for understanding cognition. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 40, 740-748.
• Drerup C, Herbert-Read JE, How MJ (2025) Motion after-effects induced by dynamic illumination in crab vision. Ecology and Evolution 15, e71426.
• Drerup C, Dunkley K, How MJ, Herbert-Read JE (2024) Cuttlefish adopt disruptive camouflage under dynamic lighting. Current Biology 34, 3258-3264.
• Drerup C, How MJ, Herbert-Read JE (2024) Dynamic visual noise has limited influence on the habitat selection and behavioural activity of crustaceans and cephalopods. Ethology 130, e13432.
• Matchette SR, Drerup C, Davison IK, Simpson SD, Radford AN, Herbert-Read JE (2023) Predatory trumpetfish conceal themselves from their prey by swimming alongside other fish. Current Biology 33, R801-802.
• Drerup C, How MJ, Herbert-Read JE (2023) Visual noise from caustic flicker does not affect the hunting success of cuttlefish. Animal Behaviour 202, 59-72.
• Venables SV, Drerup C, Powell SB, Marshall NJ, Herbert-Read JE, How MJ (2022) Polarization vision mitigates visual noise from flickering light underwater. Science Advances 8, eabq2770.
• Drerup C, Cooke GM (2021) Shoaling behaviour in the European cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. Ethology 127, 1101-1108.
• Drerup C, How MJ (2021) Polarization contrasts and their effect on the gaze stabilization of crustaceans. Journal of Experimental Biology 224, jeb229898.