Cephalopods including octopuses and cuttlefish show remarkable cognitive complexity. Their welfare in research and aquaculture settings requires specific attention.
Cephalopod welfare research is advancing rapidly in step with growing evidence of their cognitive sophistication. Octopuses housed in barren laboratory tanks develop abnormal behaviors and reduced problem-solving performance compared to enriched individuals. They are highly motivated to explore and manipulate their environment, making environmental complexity a welfare necessity rather than a luxury. In aquaculture contexts, cannibalism and crowding stress are major challenges. Pain assessment is complicated by their alien neurology, but behavioral and physiological responses to noxious stimuli support the precautionary assumption of pain capacity. Welfare guidelines for research cephalopods are increasingly standardized; commercial aquaculture standards remain underdeveloped.