Do fish have the capacity to suffer physical pain?

Question

My goldfish are diseased and dying slowly. Part of me says, they're probabluy suffering and will die soon so I should take them out of the tank befor hand so that they don't suffer, but part of me says I don't know if they're suffering and I don't know if they would want that.

Thank you for all your answers. I'm still undecided. I'll probably let them die naturally. As a nurse who worked with the elderly I was asked to end their lifes by a few patients. If I didn't do it with humans why should I treat fish so differently.

Answer 1

You need to go with your heart, because your conscience is calling out to you to do the right thing. There shouldn't be any doubt about suffering of any living thing, if a part of you tells you that it is then act upon it. If your fish are slowly dying and appear to be suffering because their usual behaviour is affected and they're struggling, then quickly end their misery and you'll feel better too. They are your responsibility and for some reason you weren't able to prevent them becoming so diseased, perhaps you feel guilty it's got this far. Be responsible for them now and consult a vet, the PDSA, or the RSPCA to get advice r.e. the best way to kill them humanely.

Answer 2

Well, fish certainly feel pain. They have nerve endings. If the fish is too far gone to save. Put them in a small cup of water. Place in the freezer. Take them out in 24 hours and throw away. They are cold blooded, which means their temp changes with the water. They just go to sleep, and then die. A humane way, even though it may not sound like it. While we do let humans suffer in agony, no need to let lower animals do this.

Answer 3

The answer is a bit more complicated than a yes / no.

Goldfish have the same neurological pathways to carry and process pain signals that we do. But the real question is whether they suffer. Suffering implies awareness. Awareness is a very specialized higher brain function. It is not as if large brains are very aware and small brains are dimly aware, either the function is performed or it isn't.

There can't be a definitive answer yet, because we can't be goldfish. But it is strongly indicated that fish are not aware at all, any more than a pocket calculator is aware. Your calculator can do some amazing things, but if several LED lines go out, you do not worry about whether it is suffering.

To put it another way, when you are put under full anaesthesia for surgery, you do not feel pain, because you are not aware, yet your brain continues to function (regulating respiration and heart rate and many other things) and pain signals continue to be transmitted and processed. But the higher functions are turned off so there is no one to be aware of the pain.

Because of the construction of the various brains, I believe that mammals are all aware to some degree, reptiles uncertain but probably not, amphibians and fish are not aware.

1oui - Right you are. Since they have no physical systems for responding to cold, fish simply have no way of detecting it. If you freeze them, it's the same as anaesthesizing them.

K - Freezing to death would be a horrible way for YOU to die because you are warm-blooded and have systems to detect and respond to cold, and to seek warmth. Fish have no such thing.

Answer 4

Since most of the people are brought up in an environment where meat-eating is justified (and celebrated), killing non-human life form for sport (hunting and fishing), it is easy to be insensitive about the life of a fish.

In your case, it depends on whether you would put out a human if he/she were suffering? the same reasoning should apply here. In my opinion, suffering is part of life, let it go through it. I would also consider leaving it in its natural environment (pond/lake/river), and let life take its course.

Answer 5

Have you tried any anti-bacterial medication in hopes that they can be saved? A great resource on coldwater and tropical fish is wetwebmedia.com . It can answer any questions you have.

P.S. Do not freeze the fish to death as mentioned above. Imagine yourself being frozen to death. They actually suffer a very painful death this way. The only way to humanely kill a fish is to quickly and cleanly (with a knife) sever their spinal cord. But that seems a bit gruesome and most people can't bring themselves to do it.

Answer 6

I completely understand how you feel, but one of my best friends is a dedicated ichthyologist, and he always puts them down. I asked him just now, after reading you question, and he said that when they are ill enough to start dying, they tend to do more damage to themselves while trying to survive, like maintain swimming, and they are more likely to hurt other fish in the process. Regardless of your choice, he said to be sure that you sterilize your tank and plants, he suggested getting it tested, if you plan on using it again...

Answer 7

A good way to give them a pain free end is to wrap them in something and freeze them (apparently!).

Why the thumbs down? I'm being serious! I used to keep tropical fish and thats what the books said!

Answer 8

Of course they feel pain - they are living creatures. Tricky one - you are obviously fond of them. Probably best to take them out and hit them on the head - I know it sounds brutal but at least it's instant and they will not suffer. You have my sympathy.xxx

Answer 9

I think fish do feel pain. If your fish seem to be sick in any way, consult a vet.

Answer 10

Let me just say that at one time, it was even thought that blacks were incapable of feeling pain to the same degree as whites. I think it's time we grew up.