“Fish don't feel pain.”

The long-held belief that fish are incapable of feeling pain often stems from their seemingly simple biology and the silent, unexpressive nature of their underwater existence. Unlike many mammals that vocalize or display clear facial expressions of distress, fish do not outwardly signal suffering in ways easily recognized by humans. This perception, coupled with the assumption that their brains are too primitive to process complex sensations, has historically led many to believe that fish respond to injury merely with unconscious reflexes rather than conscious pain.

However, scientific research increasingly challenges this misconception, providing compelling evidence that fish do indeed feel pain. Studies reveal that fish possess nociceptors, specialized pain receptors similar to those in humans, detecting harmful stimuli. When these are activated, fish exhibit physiological changes like elevated cortisol and altered breathing, along with behavioral responses such as rubbing injured areas. Furthermore, brain activity during injury stimulates regions analogous to those in terrestrial vertebrates associated with conscious sensory perceptions, not just involuntary reflexes. The presence of shared neurotransmitters and the effectiveness of analgesic drugs in fish further support their capacity for experiencing pain.

This myth persists partly because humans struggle to empathize with creatures so different from themselves. Arguments based on the absence of a human-like neocortex are considered anthropomorphic, as different species can achieve similar mental abilities through varied neural structures. Recognizing fish as sentient beings capable of conscious pain has profound ethical implications for human interactions with aquatic life.