In a paper published online June 29, 2021 in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, a team led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, report on efforts to answer that burning, boiling and baked question.
The issue of whether lobsters feel pain when dropped into a cooking pot of boiling water is long-simmering.
The University of Texas authors concluded the crayfish possessed some nociceptive behaviors, but cautioned against over-interpreting the results.
Taffe, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and senior author of the newest study, and colleagues had already documented in 2016 that inhaled THC produced anti-nociceptive effects in rats, blocking pain detection, and reduced the rodents’ body temperature and physical activity.
Though primarily an aquatic species, lobsters are able to survive for hours to days out of water if their gills remain moist enough to function.
The scientists subsequently measured levels of THC in tissue samples from some of the lobsters, including gills, brain, heart, liver, tail and claw.
The behaviors of other lobsters were monitored before and after THC exposure for changes, such as more or less time spent moving around, distance traveled and speed.
Responses to different water temperatures varied: the warmer the water, the more rapidly the lobsters moved their claws, tail or antennae away from the liquid, but THC exposure had very minimal effect on detection of a hot water stimulus in the study.
Nguyen, UC San Diego and TSRI; Mitchell Turner, UC San Diego and Colorado College; Rachel Tran, UC San Diego and University of Washington; and Tony M.