Octopuses Not Only Feel Pain Physically, But Emotionally Too, First Study Finds 5 MARCH 2021 An important new study suggests octopuses are likely to feel and respond to pain in a similar way to mammals - the first strong evidence for this capacity in any invertebrate.
The experience of pain is far more than a simple reflex to harmful stimuli or injury; it's a complex emotional state, leading to distress or suffering. While vertebrates are generally thought to experience both the physical and emotional aspects of pain, it remains unresolved whether or not invertebrates, which generally have much simpler nervous systems, are capable of something similar.