Proven: Crabs feel pain

Published 27 November 2024 at 16.11

Domestic. Researchers at Gothenburg University have proven for the first time that shore crabs can experience pain by sending pain signals to the brain.

Share the article

TwittraShare

The study, published in the journal Biology, shows that shellfish react with nerve activity in the brain to chemical and mechanical stimulation.

– We need to find less painful ways to kill the shellfish if we are to continue eating them. Now we have scientific evidence that they both experience and react to pain, says Lynne Sneddon, zoophysiologist at the University of Gothenburg, in a press release.

The researchers used EEG-like technology to measure the brain activity of shore crabs when they were exposed for stress, for example through pressure or chemicals.

The reactions confirm that crabs have pain receptors in their soft parts, according to Eleftherios Kasiouras, PhD student and lead author of study.

The findings strengthen the case for including shellfish in animal welfare legislation. Today, it is permitted to cut shellfish alive, something the researchers believe needs to change.

– We can assume that other crustaceans such as shrimp, lobsters and crayfish also have similar nervous systems and experience pain, says Kasiouras.

The researchers hope that the study will lead to the development of more humane methods for handling and slaughtering shellfish.