Emerging scientific evidence suggests that many invertebrates may have capacities for pain and suffering that deserve moral consideration.
For most of human history, invertebrates were assumed to lack the capacity for suffering. Recent research challenges this assumption. Crabs and lobsters show prolonged responses to noxious stimuli, self-administer analgesics, and change behavior in ways consistent with pain experience. While certainty remains elusive, the precautionary principle suggests improving welfare standards for invertebrates used commercially, particularly in food production.