Britain’s traditional meal of fish and chips could disappear from the menu because of climate change, according to new research.

Scientists say larger marine species – including cod and haddock – face either being wiped out or shrinking in size as rising temperatures cause a reduction of oxygen in the oceans.

The findings, based on an analysis of crustaceans in the Antarctic, support the theory that bigger sea creatures are more vulnerable to climate change

Previous research has suggested some species could shrink up to a quarter by 2050.

Professor John Spicer, who co-authored the study and is a marine zoologist at the University of Plymouth, has spent more than 30 years examining the effect of climate change on ocean organisms.

Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Show all 6 1 /6 Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Scalloped hammerhead shark Scalloped hammerhead shark fins were among those found being sold by an Asian food retailer in the UK. These sharks are endangered, and in parts of the Atlantic Ocean, their populations have declined by over 95% in the past 30 years. Istock/Janos Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Spiny dogfish In the samples of takeaway fish and chips sampled, spiny dogfish made up 90% of those sold under the names huss, rock salmon and rock eel. Doug Costa, NOAA/SBNMS Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Shortfin mako shark Another vulnerable species found in the dried shark fins tested in the British Asian wholefood retailer was the shortfin mako shark. Istock/Alessandro De Maddalena Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Blue shark Blue shark was also found on sale in UK shops. This species is not as vulnerable as the others but is still listed as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Istock/Howard Chen Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Nursehound Around a quarter of the sharks being sold in UK fishmongers were nursehounds, another relatively safe species that is nevertheless classified as near threatened. Mario Antonio Pena Zapatería Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Misleading names in fish shops The scientists behind the study investigating the prevalence of endangered shark meat on sale concluded that shops must stop selling these species under "umbrella terms" that hide their true origin. Istock

He said: “Over the last 50 years, the oxygen in our oceans has decreased by around two to five per cent and this is already having an effect on species’ ability to function.

“Unless they adapt, many larger marine invertebrates will either shrink in size or face extinction, which would have a profoundly negative impact on the ecosystems of which they are a part.

“This is obviously a major cause for concern.”

The study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, looked at four types of crustacean, known as amphipods, which are abundant off the coast of the western Antarctic peninsula.

It found that larger species suffered respiratory disadvantages when the levels of oxygen were reduced, compared to smaller animals.

The study also found evidence of “evolutionary innovation”, such as the development of pigments that boosts the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Professor Spicer said: ”Our research also shows some species have evolved mechanisms to compensate for reductions in oxygen, and so it is not always as simple as drawing a link between size and future survival.

“But it would be foolhardy to pin our hopes on such ‘evolutionary rescue’. Many large species will almost certainly be the first casualties of our warming, oxygen-poor ocean.”

Previous studies have found that climate change could lead to populations of cod being replaced by other species such as squid, sardines, mackerel and red mullet.

Rising ocean temperatures have already reduced global fish stocks by nearly 5 per cent, and up to 35 per cent in key fishing regions such as the North Sea.

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Dr Simon Morley, an ecophysiologist with the British Antarctic Survey and a co-author of the study with Professor Spicer, said: “Marine animals thrive in the Southern Ocean but life in these freezing waters has led to the evolution of many distinct characteristics.

“These ‘strategies’, which allow animals to survive in the cold, are expected to make many Antarctic marine invertebrates and fish vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

“Understanding these impacts will not only help us to predict the fate of marine biodiversity at the poles but will also teach us much about the mechanisms that will determine the survival of species across the world’s oceans.”