In 2013, the European Union’s Council of Europe implemented a refined version of an existing legislative treaty, now known as Directive 2010/63/EU, which defines the ethical and welfare standards for use of animals in scientific research.
These invertebrates both belong to their own sub-group, each with distinct differences making them individually unique. However, despite these differences, scientific research in recent years strongly supports that both octopi and some crustaceans (i.e., true crabs and lobsters) likely possess the biological mechanisms necessary to experience and respond to pain in similar ways to vertebrates. Like most other invertebrate species, octopi and lobsters lack a backbone and have many other key differences when compared to vertebrates such as mammals.
Octopi and lobsters are two types of marine animals (cephalopods and crustaceans respectively) and are part of a larger group of animals collectively termed ‘invertebrates’, which represents the most diverse group of animals on our planet. Based on the available scientific data, there is evidence that both octopi and lobsters, do exhibit signs of ‘discomfort’ or ‘pain’ in response to noxious, or painful, stimuli.