Hello, I'm a marine biologist with a strong interest in the sensory capabilities of marine invertebrates. When it comes to the question of whether starfish feel pain, it's important to understand that the concept of pain is complex and requires a certain level of nervous system complexity to be experienced as we understand it.

Starfish, also known as sea stars, belong to the phylum Echinodermata and have a simple nervous system that is decentralized, meaning they do not have a brain or central processing center. Instead, they have a nerve net that runs along their arms and body, which allows them to respond to stimuli. However, this does not necessarily equate to the experience of pain as it is understood in more complex organisms with a central nervous system.

Research into the sensory capabilities of starfish is limited, but it is known that they can respond to touch, light, and chemical cues. They do not have specialized pain receptors like those found in more advanced animals. The absence of a centralized nervous system and the lack of specialized pain receptors suggest that starfish do not experience pain in the way that humans and other animals with more complex nervous systems do.

In conclusion, while starfish can sense their environment and respond to stimuli, the current understanding of their biology indicates that they likely do not feel pain as we know it.

read more >>

Katie Campbell: Starfish lack a centralized brain, but they do have a complex nervous system and they can feel pain.read more >>