Scientists are attempting to discover if Cornish cod moving north with climate change will be able to understand the accents of their Scouse counterparts.
Experts believe the fish, which make sounds with their swim bladders to attract mates, may have regional accents – and if males cannot “chat up” females who speak a different dialect it could threaten their ability to breed.
There are also concerns that noise pollution from boats and other marine activities could be drowning out the “gossip” cod need to establish territories, raise the alarm and for mating.
Prof Steve Simpson, from the University of Exeter, who is leading the research, said cod had a series of vocalisations, with the ability to change the patterns of their sounds, producing thumps, growls and different frequencies.
They have traditional spawning grounds, making populations quite isolated in reproduction – a process in which males produce a sound to stimulate the females to release their eggs.
He said: “Recordings of American cod are very different to those from their European cousins, so there is a precedent.
“This species is highly vocal with traditional breeding grounds established over hundreds or thousands of years, so the potential for regionalism is there.”
Seriously? Cod not only “talk” to each other, they have regional accents? I knew this was true of whales but cod?
Sounds most unlike ourselves of course. The male has to chat up the female in order to get sex, that bit’s the same, but then he’s expected to bugger off?
Dunno about cod, but the further north I travel the less I understand. Been blighted with a Jock down here, last few days. Geezer really needed fitting with sub-titles. Even Andalus is more comprehensible.
Maybe it’s something in the water?.
I wonder what the Leicestershire codfish dialectic is like?
The Cornish cod will be delighted, I’m sure, to find that the scouse cod are up for anything. As long as they keep an eye on their coddy wallets they’ll be grand.
They’re moving north because someone’s given them bicycles.
Are only male cod on the move? If not there is no problem.
A German friend maintains that blackbirds (not black birds) have dialects. Same song with different emphases.
This goes partly to explain why we don’t have cures for cancer and the like. Surely someone giving out these grants must prioritise them as part of the job.
More importantly why do I never get any of these cushy grants?
So those that can pick up accents quickly, have good hearing and can shout loudest get to breed and those who can’t don’t.
Isn’t that just that natural selection stuff that Darwin was on about or is this just some type of No Cod left Behind crap.
The climate change bollocks was probably the whole point of the paper in the first place – to find another reason why the sky is falling and we must all hand over our money etc etc.
Only papers with stuff like this in them get funded these days – and this, Lord T, is why you never get these cushy grants. Help to spread The Word and you will find the money rolls in.
I codn’t care less.
If the Cornish cod are moving north ‘cos of climate change, shirly the Scouse cod are also moving north ‘cos of climate change. So when the Cornish cod arrive in Scouse waters there will only be Cornish cod to chat to, the Scouse cod now being Cumbrian cod and the Cumbrian cod now being Ayreshire cod and so on.
They will communicate using cod Latin.
Fugit!
Boatum venit netus, magno problemus.
Swimus like hades.
I’m with TW- when I heard the story on the news this morning, my first thought was not about the accents, but more How male cod get pretty much the same deal human males get.
Or, in other words, “Cod that for a game of soldiers”