Cephalopods including octopuses and squid are increasingly used in neuroscience and welfare research. Their sentience recognition creates new responsibilities for laboratory welfare standards.
The inclusion of cephalopods in welfare legislation creates new responsibilities for researchers using these animals. Laboratory welfare standards for octopuses and squid must address their specific requirements: solitary housing reflecting their territorial nature, water quality appropriate to species and temperature needs, enrichment including shelter objects and novel items for exploration, and anaesthesia and analgesia appropriate to cephalopod physiology. The 3Rs framework applies: replace experiments with alternative models where possible, reduce numbers by improving experimental design, and refine procedures to minimise suffering. Developing species-specific humane endpoints — points at which an experiment is terminated to prevent further suffering — is an important research priority.