Who Gives A Fish Forums

I think this is pretty subjective, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

When fish nip at each other's fins - whether it's girls, boys, or a mix - do you think they actually feel pain when their fins get nipped?

I think so too. Nipping's probably like a pinch, right. But when they actually bite and leave a mark, that's probably more painful. Not entirely sure though. Good question to ask.

If they dart away after being nipped, that suggests to me it's painful. I mean, it's a pretty instinctual reaction.

It all comes down to how you define pain, as you touched on with that subjectiveness comment. I was reading through some other posts on the same topic and I thought I'd share these two - might give us a better idea of what's going on.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?s=&amp...t&p=1709172
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?s=&amp...t&p=1709283

I've come across some sites saying fish don't have nerves in their fins, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Did your fish get hurt?

Recent research has shed light on the sensitivity of fish fins. A study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that pectoflake fins in a particular species of fish contain neurons and cells that are highly sensitive to touch, comparable to the sensation in human fingertips.

The discovery, made by University of Chicago scientists in 2016, revealed that fish fins can sense light pressure and subtle motion, conveying this information through a type of cell also found in mammals. This suggests that the underlying sensory morphology may be evolutionarily conserved.

Other studies have shown that some fins do indeed contain nerves, which contradicts claims that fish fins are devoid of nerves. For instance, a study on the pectoflake fins of the pictus catfish found that these fins are highly innervated, with putative mechanoreceptors at nerve fibre endings.

The ability of fish to sense mechanical perturbations was demonstrated through experiments that recorded activity of fin ray nerve fibres in response to touch and bend stimulation. Both pressure and light surface brushing generated afferent nerve activity, indicating that fish fins can function as passive mechanosensors.

While the question of whether fish feel pain remains debatable, research suggests that fish fulfill several criteria that indicate the possibility of pain experience. These criteria include a suitable nervous system and sensory receptors, opioid receptors, and physiological changes to noxious stimuli, among others.