Wyoming Fishery Scientist Offers A Counterpoint

[FishNews]

The problem with the studies of crabs is the same problem that has been present in studies claiming to show pain in fish. These studies have used the presence of a response that is "more than a reflex" in response to a presumably noxious stimulus as proof of pain. As we describe in the paper "Can fish really feel pain?" the "more than a reflex" criterion is completely invalid as a means of identifying a response reflecting pain. Authors using this criterion never define what they mean by a "reflex" or what is not and don't recognize the fact that there are a great many complex, unconscious responses to noxious stimuli that don't represent conscious, pain-elicited behaviors. In addition, because a great variety of behaviors that are more than simple reflexes are likely to result from noxious stimuli, this criterion constitutes the logical fallacy of a false duality in which interpretations are forced to favor conclusions that a behavior reflected pain when it actually didn't.

James D. Rose, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus<br />
Department of Zoology and Physiology and Neuroscience Program<br />
University of Wyoming<br />
Laramie, WY 82071<br />
USA<br />
e-mail: trout@uwyo.edu