Octopuses, squid and cuttlefish display remarkable intelligence and are increasingly used in research and considered for aquaculture, raising important welfare questions.
Cephalopod welfare represents a significant frontier in animal welfare ethics. Their cognitive sophistication is unambiguous — octopuses learn, problem-solve, show curiosity and appear to experience positive and negative emotional states. Commercial octopus farming is a particularly concerning development: these solitary predators that roam large territories would face severe welfare compromise in any feasible farming system. The inclusion of cephalopods in welfare legislation is an important recognition. Research using cephalopods should apply the same ethical scrutiny as research using vertebrates.