Topic: Crabs 'feel and remember pain'

[Derek]

(CNN) -- New research suggests that crabs not only suffer pain but that they retain a memory of it.

The study, which was carried out by Professor Bob Elwood and Mirjam Appel from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University, Belfast, looked at the reactions of hermit crabs to small electric shocks. It was published in the journal "Animal Behaviour."

Professor Elwood, whose previous work showed that prawns endure pain, said his research highlighted the need to investigate the treatment of crustaceans used in food industries.

Hermit crabs have no shell of their own so inhabit other structures, usually empty mollusc shells.

In the research, wires were attached to shells to deliver the small shocks to the abdomen of some of the crabs within the shells. The only crabs to get out of their shells were those which had received shocks, indicating that the experience is unpleasant for them.

The research suggests that this response is not just a reflex, but that central neuronal processing takes place.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/27/crabs.memorypain/index.html

This does have strong implications for  the way we keep/kill & eat crustaceans and we all need to examine carefully our previously held views & beliefs and work towards new pain free methods of capture & killing, (if we continue to eat them)

It has previously been said that the "screams" coming from lobsters or crabs being boiled alive was just the air escaping from the shells. Now this research proves that crustaceans do feel pain, Is it not very likely that they will also express that pain vocally ( whether or not we can always hear the vocal message)