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This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: Do Fish Feel Pain?
Fully agree apart from the fact that many sea fish eat crabs only when they have shed their shells (pealers as they are known) and are soft, but spot on with perch being eaten by pike. I did write on it years ago so read that as my comments if you like...It would simply be of no biological or evolutionary advantage for fish to feel pain. It would mean, for example, that every time a cod ingested a mature crab, the shell would cause severe discomfort; same goes for chub and barbel eating large signal crayfish, or pike eating spiny perch.
Yes, thinking about it, my statement saying 'only' was a bit exagerated perhaps. Peelers are the best bait, but I have also found hard shell in the stomachs of sea fish, you've reminded me now of the many mussel shells I've retrieved. In fact, off Conway (NW) is the best place for trawling for plaice, but I defy anyone to catch them regularly with worms or other soft baits, they eat tiny pea mussels as hard as rocks. Fish must blow these hard bits out after a while, vomiting in other words, can't see them digesting it.the stomaches of cod and bass often had hard back crabs in the stomach cavity.
Yes, thinking about it, my statement saying 'only' was a bit exagerated perhaps. Peelers are the best bait, but I have also found hard shell in the stomachs of sea fish, you've reminded me now of the many mussel shells I've retrieved. In fact, off Conway (NW) is the best place for trawling for plaice, but I defy anyone to catch them regularly with worms or other soft baits, they eat tiny pea mussels as hard as rocks. Fish must blow these hard bits out after a while, vomiting in other words, can't see them digesting it.
I am sure fish do feel stimuli otherwise why would they move from cold to warm water or vice versa why do they move if you touch them so they do feel something I think the question should be more how aware are they to me they are almost hard wired like biological robots, alive- yes, but aware ? Barely.
So I wouldn't hook a dog in the mouth because that would be cruel but I have no compunction doing the same to a fish
---------- Post added at 10:00 ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 ----------
An oft seen post by non anglers, especially on a articles associated with Keith the seal , is how would you like to be hooked in the mouth and pulled out of your house, well the simple answer is of course I wouldn't but its a pre loaded and stupid question.
Of course fish feel pain and anyone who thinks they dont really is deluding themselves.
Put your hand in your local stillwater ( Jan 2013) for half hour to experience real pain. The fish are in there all winter. Does anyone really think the fish are in pain all their lives???
john - maybe some people do think that fish are in constant pain, but then they clearly have a different definition of what constitutes pain to the majority, or dont understand what a poikilotherm is.
Of course fish feel pain and anyone who thinks they dont really is deluding themselves.
If they feel pain why do they pull away when hooked? If you could feel pain when hooked in any part of your body you certainly wouldn’t pull in the opposite direction.
Jerry
That's pretty much as I see it Chav, I believe that when hooked and wriggling, a fish is impervious to pain because it does not have the necessary brain power. If they feel pain why do they pull away when hooked? was just a question for those of a different opinion as I don't believe that is a reaction a creature in pain.
Jerry