Recent empirical studies have reported evidence that many aquatic species, including fish,
cephalopods and crustaceans, have the capacity for nociception and pain, and that their
welfare should be taken into consideration. Some sceptics, rejecting the precautionary
principle, have denied that any study demonstrates pain or other aspects of sentience in fish.
This target article discusses some of the scientific shortcomings of these critiques through a
detailed analysis of a study exploring nociception and analgesia in larval zebrafish.