How much pain and distress can a relatively short-lived invertebrate such as an octopus experience? We know very little about whether cephalopods recognize pain or experience suffering and distress in a similar way that we humans—or even we vertebrates—do. Previous research has looked largely to behavioral clues as an indication to an octopus’s internal state. For example, researchers have observed an octopus’s colour-changing and activity patterns and looked for any self-inflicted harm (swimming into the side of a tank or eating its own arms) to judge whether the animal is “stressed.” But these are still relatively rough measures of a complex process. Much more research is needed. However, the catch-22 for this type of work is that pursuing it “may involve procedures with the potential to cause pain, suffering and distress,” the researchers write. This “creates an ethical dilemma given that the ultimate aim would be to reduce suffering for cephalopods.”
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 22:09:19 +0000
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