Crabs feel pain and remember it

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, March 27 (UPI) -- A researcher at Queen's University Belfast says crabs and other crustaceans are capable of feeling pain.

Bob Elwood, a professor in the school of biological sciences, said the reactions of hermit crabs subjected to electrical shocks show crabs not only suffer pain, they retain the memory of it, the university said Friday in a release.

Elwood, whose previous research suggests prawns endure pain, said the findings highlight the need to investigate how crustaceans used in food industries are treated.

The report is published in the journal Animal Behavior.