Re: Fish pain - Insect gains - Who will PETA the poor Worm?

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Billinet said, in part:

> . . . "pain" has a large
> psychological component, and the lower animals don't have
> as much "psychological" as do the higher ones.  They
> don't experience what we call "pain" in the the way we
> do.
> 
> Case in point:  When I was little, one day I was fishing
> for sunfish with a worm and a bobber.  One fish lost its
> right eye in the process of being unhooked.  I returned
> him to the water, and in 10 minutes I caught him again,
> or an identical one-eyed fish.  If he was in "pain" I
> doubt that he would have been eating.


I think you're on the right track, but pain and gullibility
are not necessarily well connected, especially if cognitive
abilities are relatively slight.  One might even say it was
a case of entrapment ;-)

As for male praying mantis.  No one knows if they learn
their lesson -- no one has tested their behavior after
being eaten.   And what some guys would do for you know
what, who says an insect wouldn't risk it or ignore the
consequences?

Scott H.

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