Cod speak with regional accents, scientists believe

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...tists-believe/

Cod speak with regional accents, scientists believe

Cornish cod travelling north to find cooler waters may not be able to find a mate if their Scouse counterparts cannot understand their accents, scientists have said.

Experts believe the fish, which make sounds with their swim bladders to attract mates, may have regional accents - so if the cod from the southwest speak a different dialect to those in the north 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.

Professor 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."

interesting. i didn't even know fish could talk but there you go

when i read this i imagined a fish with a yorkshire accent

thoughts

[Empired]

What a time to be alive

[Chris]

That's... Interesting. I'm just imagining a scouse fish now.

[FlyingJesus]

Pretty sure all animals have "accents" just like humans do. You can hear it in babies babbling which is always fun but yeah the need for communication is innate but the methods of it aren't always so it makes sense that there are regional differences for everything