Do you know Pollock from pollock or a collie from a coley? If you don’t you are not alone as new research reveals that Britons struggle to name common fish, while two-fifths admit that they have “only ever eaten it in batter or breadcrumbs”.

Over half of those surveyed had no idea that a John Dory was a spiny fish; 12% mistakenly thought “he” was a famous poet, according to the Marine Stewardship Council poll.

The Family Fortunes-style answers do not stop there. The poll of 2,000 adults found that 10% of respondents thought a coley was a breed of dog. Another 6% said the only pollock they had heard of was the American artist Jackson Pollock. A similar number thought that a hake was a garden tool.

They might not know the taxonomy, but that does not stop Britons eating lots of fish, as those surveyed ate it an average of five times a month. However, they tended to eat the same things, and 80% of the seafood eaten in the UK is made up of the “big five”: cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns.

In the poll, part of the non-profit’s sustainable seafood September campaign, 86% admitted that they only ate the fish they knew. It confirmed that 60% had never tried John Dory, which is a common sea fish, or others such as brill or razor clams. Only 39% said they would feel confident cooking a whole fish.

The survey also delved into why consumers stuck to the same varieties. Some people were concerned about the cost or not liking the taste, while others thought there would be “too many bones” or that they would not know how to prepare it.

While 79% told researchers they would like to be more adventurous with fish and seafood, the questioning revealed that 43% only eat fish if it is in batter or breadcrumbs.

George Clark, the MSC’s UK & Ireland programme director, said the poll showed that there was a big opportunity for consumers to improve their fish knowledge and seafood skills. This month it is “encouraging people to try something different”, particularly sustainable varieties of fish and seafood caught by fishing communities around the UK.

Shoppers should look for the MSC’s blue tick logo on packaging when buying fish, he said, as this was the quickest way to check if it came from a sustainable source with healthy fish stocks and where the wider marine environment is being protected.

“Sustainable, locally caught options include MSC-certified sardines and hake from Cornwall, coley from Scotland, mussels, crab and scallops from Shetland and cockles from Poole harbour and Leigh-on-Sea,” added Clark.