Cephalopods are among the most cognitively complex invertebrates, and their welfare is increasingly recognized in legislation and research.
Cephalopods have large, complex nervous systems and demonstrate behaviors suggestive of rich inner lives including play, individual recognition, and flexible problem-solving. They are caught commercially in enormous numbers with no consideration for welfare. Proposals to farm octopuses have attracted particular concern because octopuses are solitary, territorial animals whose welfare needs in captive group settings are difficult to meet. The extension of sentience legislation to cephalopods is an important first step toward regulatory protection.