Nociception and pain in teleost fish
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1
Penn State University, Biology, United States
It is only in the last decade that cutaneous, polymodal nociceptors have been described for fish. Electrophysiological recordings from trigeminal nerve in rainbow trout has revealed that the physiological properties of fish nociceptors are similar to those described for birds and mammals. The receptors were found to respond to mechanical pressure, temperatures greater than 40 degrees centigrade and weak acetic acid. As in other higher vertebrates, nociceptive Adelta and C fibers are also present in trout. The relative density of Adelta and C fibers in the fish, however, differs with many fewer C fibers than those found in higher vertebrates. Furthermore, application of noxious substances to the trout resulted in considerable physiological and behavioral changes in the fish. Evidence that noxious stimulation is processed in the forebrain and that higher order cognitive processes are compromised during noxious stimulation have been used to argue that fish experience discomfort. This is supported by the fact that application of an analgesic significantly reduces the impaired cognition associated with noxious stimulation. Taken together the evidence indicates that teleost fish have the capacity to experience pain. I will discuss the evolutionary significance of these findings, and will consider whether the knowledge that fish experience pain should influence the way we handle and interact with them.
Keywords:
fish,
Nociception,
Pain
Conference:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Invited Symposium (only for people who have been invited to a particular symposium)
Topic:
Anatomy and Neuroanatomy
Citation:
Braithwaite
V
(2012). Nociception and pain in teleost fish.
Conference Abstract:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00033
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Received:
27 Apr 2012;
Published Online:
07 Jul 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Victoria Braithwaite, Penn State University, Biology, State College, PA, 16802, United States, v.braithwaite@psu.edu