In one experiment, researchers moved a screen over the water above crabs to mimic the cues of a seagull or other predators passing overhead. Scientists have also found that crabs live by the saying “Love thy neighbor.” If an intruder tries to take over a male Australian fiddler crab’s burrow, his male neighbor will leave his own burrow to help fight off the thief.Ĭrabs are capable of learning from their mistakes and retaining that information so that they don’t make the same mistakes again in the future, and they adapt to changing cues in their environment. Blair Hedges, a biologist who has researched the manner in which crabs care for their offspring, says, “The mother crab manipulates water quality by removing debris, by circulating the water to add oxygen to it, and by carrying empty snail shells into the water to buffer the pH levels and add calcium.” They work hard to keep their homes clean and comfortable for their young. The mother crabs continue to feed and tend to their babies for several months after they are born. Marine biologists who study crabs are working to shed light on the fascinating lives of these crafty crustaceans.īromeliad crabs, who live in small pools of water in bromeliad flowers, provide their young with loving care. Many people have seen crabs scurrying along the sand and taking cover in their well-kept burrows, but these animals are still largely a mystery to even the most dedicated beachgoers. While the experts couldn’t seem to agree on which method would cause the least suffering, they do agree that there is really no humane way to kill these sensitive and unusual animals. PETA has consulted with many marine biologists about the least cruel way to kill a lobster. In the journal Science, researcher Gordon Gunter described this method of killing lobsters as “unnecessary torture.” Horsley, Ph.D.Īnyone who has ever boiled a lobster alive knows that when dropped into scalding water, lobsters whip their bodies wildly and scrape the sides of the pot in a desperate attempt to escape. “As an invertebrate zoologist who has studied crustaceans for a number of years, I can tell you the lobster has a rather sophisticated nervous system that, among other things, allows it to sense actions that will cause it harm. … I think the lobster is in a great deal of pain from being cut open … feels all the pain until its nervous system is destroyed” during cooking. Horsley, “The lobster does not have an autonomic nervous system that puts it into a state of shock when it is harmed. According to invertebrate zoologist Jaren G. Lobsters may feel even more pain than we would in similar situations. Neurobiologist Tom Abrams says lobsters have “a full array of senses.” Most scientists agree that a lobster’s nervous system is quite sophisticated. Also, when kept in tanks, they may suffer from stress associated with confinement, low oxygen levels, and crowding. Contrary to claims made by seafood sellers, scientists have determined that lobsters, like all animals, can feel pain.
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