Crustaceans may be able to experience some emotions, a study published in the journal Science suggests. Researchers in France have found that crayfish seem to show anxiety, a feeling previously thought to be too complex for these primitive animals.

It follows a number of studies that suggest that crustaceans can also feel pain. Some experts say the seafood industry may need to rethink how it treats these creatures.

Dr Daniel Cattaert, from the University of Bordeaux, who carried out the research, said: “Crayfish are primitive, they have been around for hundreds of millions of years.

“The idea that this animal could express some anxiety didn’t seem possible, but with our experiments we’re more and more convinced that this was the case.”

Stressed out

To investigate, the scientists exposed the crustaceans to a stressful situation – in this case an unpleasant electric field.

The creatures were then placed into a cross-shaped tank. Two of the arms of the cross were dark – an environment that most crayfish prefer, while two were light.

Dr Cattaert said: “When you have a naive crayfish (one not exposed to the electric field), you observe that the animal will go in all of the arms, but with a slight preference for the dark arms.

“But when we place a stressed animal in the maze, we observe the animal never goes in the light arms.

“The light arms are perceived as too threatening.”

The researchers found that the crayfish produced high levels of serotonin, a chemical that is released by the brain to counteract anxiety.

They also discovered that when they injected the stressed creatures with an anti-anxiety drug, they stopped being so wary and began to explore the light arms of the tank.

http://richarddawkins.net/2014/06/crayfish-may-experience-form-of-anxiety/

Pre-emptive marketing by Blackmores? The seafood industry could be a huge market.

http://www.tvspots.tv/video/3180/blackmores—larry

Once we have been shamed into eating only seeds and leafs they will then start on those.
First a report on how wheat is stressed during harvest season, then it will be potatoes and finally lentils.
The good thing is all the political correct gullible sandalista metrosexuals will die out because they’ll be too ashamed to eat anything, anything at all.

I don’t think it is a matter of whether we eat them or not, but the unnecessary stress we put animals under during our interaction with them. Anyone with experience dealing with wild animals will say the animals are far more intelligent than we give them credit and science is a very long way behind in proving this. I would say the main thing to do when dealing with animals (wild or domesticated) is to show them respect.

PermeateFree said:

I don’t think it is a matter of whether we eat them or not, but the unnecessary stress we put animals under during our interaction with them. Anyone with experience dealing with wild animals will say the animals are far more intelligent than we give them credit and science is a very long way behind in proving this. I would say the main thing to do when dealing with animals (wild or domesticated) is to show them respect.

Ignoring another’s experiences doesn’t minimise it for them, only ones own comprehension of the other. On the other hand, encouraging inclusion has been shown to make enormous differences in development. For instance, deferring to my son for his opinion, whether he is directly involved in a circumstance or not encourages confidence and thoughtfulness. I haven’t really seen a great difference between animals and children provided the physical limitations are accounted for.

>I don’t think it is a matter of whether we eat them or not, but the unnecessary stress we put animals under during our interaction with them.

Tend to agree.

>..during our interaction with them..”

Yes including killing them, fattening them up to kill them to eat them, of the latter I suppose they have no idea, and I suppose too that a quick help along into the oblivion is probably a relief for them, no more hunger, no more uncertainty. Into the pan then onto a fork into a mouth then into a tummy, to become energy, flesh, fat perhaps, the stuff that builds and keeps another creature alive, and there’s some excrement too.

Personally I’d rather see anxiety in the context of how it relates to homeostasis and homeostatic mechanisms.

Jeez, they are well behind Australian research if they are only figuring this out now…

It’s the biggest hurdle in closing the life cycle for farming crayfish, the slightest changes and stress kills the whole batch

> Crustaceans may be able to experience some emotions, a study published in the journal Science suggests.

Even multi-cellular micro-organisms can experience fear.

As for crustaceans, there used to be an interesting TV advertisement showing a lobster in a tank at a restaurant. It cringed whenever someone walked too close to its tank. The advertising slogan was “living with stress?”.