Faculty

Michael L. Fine
Professor
Ph.D., University of Rhode Island (1976)
mlfine@vcu.edu

Office room: 026
Office phone: (804) 828-0101

Lab room: 024
Lab phone: (804) 828-0097

Research interests:
Neurobiology, endocrinology and behavior of fishes; central nervous system control of reproductive behavior and sound production; sexual dimorphism of the brain and striated muscle; consequences of adult sonic neuromuscular plasticity for sound production, swim bladder acoustics and mechanisms of sound production

Classes currently teaching:
Introduction to Biological Science (BIOL 152)
Introduction to Marine Biology (BIOL 431)
NeuroBio & Behavior (BIOL 445)

Dr. Michael Fine is a fish neurobiologist with a background in marine biology and animal behavior. His research has focused on various aspects of acoustic communication in the oyster toadfish, catfish and sciaenid fishes. Highlights of his work include the demonstration that brain areas involved in sound production contain steroid target neurons as in other vertebrates, and the first demonstration of sexual dimorphism in a fish brain. A series of developmental studies on the toadfish sonic neuromuscular system indicate that the sonic muscle fiber increases in number and size for the life of the fish, and the sonic motor neurons, with innervation of the sonic muscles, increase in number and size for seven to eight years. His current work is devoted to following up these findings by determining mechanisms of muscle fiber proliferation and conducting field and laboratory studies on the effect of continuous growth and sexual dimorphism of the swim bladder, sonic muscles and neurons on toadfish sound production.

Recent Papers:
Lugli, M., and Fine, M.L. 2007. Stream ambient noise, sound spectrum and propagation in the freshwater goby, Padogobius martensi: sound pressure and particle velocity. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America: 122:2881-2892.

Fine, M.L., Lin, H., Nguyen, B.B., Rountree, R.A., Cameron, T.M., and Parmentier, E. 2007. Functional morphology of the sonic apparatus of the fawn cusk-eel Lepophidium profundorum. Journal of Morphology. 268:953-966.

Parmentier, E., Colleye, O., Fine, M.L., Frédérich, B., Vanderwalle, P., and
Herrel, A. 2007. Sound production in the clownfish Amphirprion clarkii. Science
316:1006.

Parmentier, E., Fontenelle, N., Fine, M.L., Vanderwalle, P., and Henrist, C. 2006. Functional morphology of the sonic apparatus in Ophidion barbatum (Teleostei, Ophidiidae). Journal of Morphology 267: 1461-1468.

Parmentier, E., Vanderwalle, P., Frédérich, B., and Fine, M.L. 2006. Sound production in two species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae): Plectroghlyphiodon lacrymatus and Dascyllus aruanus. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 491-503.

Parmentier, E., Lagardère, J.P., Braquegnier, J.B., Vanderwalle, P., and Fine, M.L. 2006. Sound production mechanism in carapid fish: first example with a slow sonic muscle. Journal of Experimental Biology 209: 2952-2960.

Ladich F. and Fine, M.L. 2006. Sound-generating mechanisms in fishes: a unique diversity in vertebrates. In: Ladich F, Colin SP, Moller P, Kapoor BG, eds. Communication in fishes. Enfield, New Hampshire: Science Publishers. p 3-43.

Parmentier, E., Vandewalle, P., Fredéréch, B., and Fine, M.L. 2006. Sound production in two species of damselfish (Pomacentridae): Plectroglyphiodon lacrymatus and Dascyllus aruanus. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 491-503.

Parmentier, E., Fine, M.L., Vanderwalle, P., Ducamp, J.J., and Lagardere, J.P. 2006. Sound production in two carapids (Carapus acus and C. mourlani) and through the sea cucumber tegument. Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 87:113-119.

Bosher, B.T., Newton, S.H., and Fine, M.L. 2006. The spines of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, as an anti-predator adaptation: an experimental study. Ethology 112:188-195.

Parmentier, E., Lagardère, J.P., Vandewalle, P., and Fine, M.L. 2005. Geographical variation in sound production in the anemonefish, Amphiprion akallopisos. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 272:1697-1703.

Fine, M.L., Schrinel, J., and Cameron, T.M. 2004. The effect of loading on disturbance sounds of the Atlantic croaker Micropogonius undulatus: Air versus water. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 116:1271-1275.

Fine, M.L., Johnson, M.S., and Matt, D.W. 2004. Seasonal variation in androgen levels in the oyster toadfish. Copeia 2004:235-244.

Lugli, M., Fine, M.L. 2003. Acoustic communication in two freshwater gobies: Ambient noise and short-range propagation in shallow streams. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 114:512-521.

Lugli, M., Yan, H.Y, and Fine, M.L. 2003. Acoustic communication in two freshwater gobies: the relationship between ambient noise, hearing thresholds and sound spectrum. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 189: 309-320.

Connaughton, M.A., Fine, M.L., and Taylor, M.H. 2002. Weakfish sonic muscle: influence of size, temperature and season. Journal of Experimental Biology 205:2183-2188.

Amorim, M.C.P., McCracken, M.L., and Fine, M.L. 2002. Metabolic costs of sound production in the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau. Canadian Journal of Zoology 80:830-838.

Fine, M.L., Malloy, K.L., King, C.B., Mitchell, S.L., and Cameron, T.C. 2002 Sound generation by the toadfish swimbladder. Bioacoustics 12:221-222.

Amorim, M.C.P., McCracken, M.L., and Fine, M.L. 2002. Bioenergetics of calling in oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau. Bioacoustics 12:221-222.

Connaughton, M.A., Fine, M.L., and Taylor, M.H. 2002. Use of sound for localization of spawning weakfish in Delaware Bay (USA) and effects of fish size, temperature and season on sound parameters. Bioacoustics: 12:294-296.

Thorson, R.F., and Fine, M.L. 2002. Acoustic competition in the gulf toadfish Opsanus beta: acoustic tagging. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 111:2302-2307.

Thorson, R.F., and Fine, M.L. 2002. Crepuscular changes in emission rate and parameters of the boatwhistle advertisement call in the gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta. Environmental Biology of Fish 63:-321-331.

Fine, M.L., Malloy, K.L., King, C.B., Mitchell, S.L., and Cameron, T.M. 2001. Movement and sound generation by the toadfish swimbladder. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 187:371-379

Yan, H.Y., Fine, M.L., Horn, N.S., and Colon, W.E. 2000. Variability in the role of the gasbladder in fish audition. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 186: 435-445

Connaughton, M.A., Taylor, M.H., Fine, M.L. 2000. Effects of fish size on temperature on weakfish disturbance calls: implications for the mechanism of sound generation. Journal of Experimental Biology. 203:1503-1512.

Johnson, M.S., Waybright, T.D., Matt, D.W., Feher, J.J., and Fine, M.L. 2000. Absence of a seasonal cycle in the sonic neuromuscular system of the oyster toadfish. Journal of Fish Biology. 56:211-215.