Cephalopods are among the most cognitively sophisticated invertebrates, with complex nervous systems, problem-solving ability, and evidence of emotional states.
Cephalopod welfare is a field where the science of sentience and the ethics of use are particularly closely intertwined. The evidence for octopus and cuttlefish sentience is now strong enough to have driven legislative change in the UK. Yet cephalopods are increasingly consumed, researched, and — in the case of octopuses — farmed. The welfare implications of farming an animal that shows play, individual personality, and delayed gratification are profound and warrant serious engagement before large-scale commercial octopus farming becomes established.