Cephalopod Welfare, Biological and Regulatory Aspects: An EU Experience

FELASA Working Group report: Capture and transport of live cephalopods - recommendations for scientific purposes

On 1 January 2013, research using cephalopod molluscs, from hatchlings to adults, became regulated within Directive 2010/63/EU. There are significant difficulties in captive breeding in the great majority of currently utilised species. Thus, scientific research relies upon the use of wild-caught animals. Furthermore, live cephalopods are shared and transported between different stakeholders and laboratories across Europe and other continents. Despite existing European and national legislation, codes, guidelines and reports from independent organisations, a set of recommendations specifically addressing the requirements for the capture and transport of animals belonging to this taxon are missing. In addition, although training and development of competence for all people involved in the supply chain are essential and aim to ensure that animals do not suffer from pain, distress or lasting harm, the requirements for those capturing and transporting wild cephalopods have not been considered. This Working Group reviewed the current literature to recognise scientific evidence and the best practice, and compiled a set of recommendations to provide guidance on the 'techniques' to be used for the capture and transport of live cephalopods for their use in scientific procedures. In addition, we propose to (a) develop standardised approaches able to assess recommended methods and objectively quantify the impact of these processes on animals' health, welfare and stress response, and (b) design a training programme for people attaining the necessary competence for capture and transportation of live cephalopods, as required by Directive 2010/63/EU.

General and species-specific recommendations for minimal requirements for the use of cephalopods in scientific research

Here we list species-specific recommendations for housing, care and management of cephalopod molluscs employed for research purposes with the aim of contributing to the standardization of minimum requirements for establishments, care and accommodation of these animals in compliance with the principles stated in Directive 2010/63/EU. Maximizing their psychophysical welfare was our priority. General recommendations on water surface area, water depth and tank shape here reported represent the outcome of the combined action of the analysis of the available literature and an expertise-based consensus reached - under the aegis of the COST Action FA1301 - among researchers working with the most commonly used cephalopod species in Europe. Information on water supply and quality, environmental conditions, stocking density, feeding and handling are also provided. Through this work we wish to set the stage for a more fertile ground of evidence-based approaches on cephalopod laboratory maintenance, thus facilitating standardization and replicability of research outcomes across laboratories, at the same time maximizing the welfare of these animals.

Deciphering regeneration through non-model animals: A century of experiments on cephalopod mollusks and an outlook at the future

The advent of marine stations in the last quarter of the 19th Century has given biologists the possibility of observing and experimenting upon myriad marine organisms. Among them, cephalopod mollusks have attracted great attention from the onset, thanks to their remarkable adaptability to captivity and a great number of biologically unique features including a sophisticate behavioral repertoire, remarkable body patterning capacities under direct neural control and the complexity of nervous system rivalling vertebrates. Surprisingly, the capacity to regenerate tissues and complex structures, such as appendages, albeit been known for centuries, has been understudied over the decades. Here, we will first review the limited in number, but fundamental studies on the subject published between 1920 and 1970 and discuss what they added to our knowledge of regeneration as a biological phenomenon. We will also speculate on how these relate to their epistemic and disciplinary context, setting the base for the study of regeneration in the taxon. We will then frame the peripherality of cephalopods in regeneration studies in relation with their experimental accessibility, and in comparison, with established models, either simpler (such as planarians), or more promising in terms of translation (urodeles). Last, we will explore the potential and growing relevance of cephalopods as prospective models of regeneration today, in the light of the novel opportunities provided by technological and methodological advances, to reconsider old problems and explore new ones. The recent development of cutting-edge technologies made available for cephalopods, like genome editing, is allowing for a number of important findings and opening the way toward new promising avenues. The contribution offered by cephalopods will increase our knowledge on regenerative mechanisms through cross-species comparison and will lead to a better understanding of the complex cellular and molecular machinery involved, shedding a light on the common pathways but also on the novel strategies different taxa evolved to promote regeneration of tissues and organs. Through the dialogue between biological/experimental and historical/contextual perspectives, this article will stimulate a discussion around the changing relations between availability of animal models and their specificity, technical and methodological developments and scientific trends in contemporary biology and medicine.

Welfare Assessment of Invertebrates: Adapting the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) for Zoo Decapods and Cephalopods

Consumer demand for invertebrates is on the rise as their numbers in the wild dwindle. However, with the growing conservation efforts of modern zoos and aquariums, and evidence from over 300 studies showing that invertebrates are capable of sentience, public interest, and moral concern for welfare of invertebrates have increased. The challenge for zoos and aquariums is in developing an objective and repeatable method for evaluating welfare that can be applied to invertebrates in zoological collections. Recently introduced into zoological collection management is the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG). The AWAG helps to identify negative and positive welfare states, through assessing animal- and environmental-based indicators to make changes that lead to a better quality of life. Originally developed for the assessment of laboratory primates, the system has been successfully adapted to assess a variety of taxa across different environments, facilitated by the development of cloud-based software. In this study, the AWAG has been adapted to assess the cumulative lifetime experience of captive decapods and cephalopods at two different institutions, Marwell Zoo and National Marine Aquarium. This study has provided further evidence that the AWAG is adaptable and demonstrates the first time any objective scoring system has been successfully adapted for use in invertebrates. Through graphical representation, the results show that the AWAG identifies changes in welfare scores that can be attributed to specific events and can be used to predict the future vulnerability of species to welfare changes and suggest alternative management methods. This monitoring tool provides a versatile method of implementing practical welfare monitoring in zoos and aquariums.

Why Are Octopuses Going to Be the 'Poster Child' for Invertebrate Welfare?

Animal welfare consideration and actions are generally addressed to animals similar to us, predominantly large mammals. Invertebrates are neglected partly because they are unknown, though new exploration of the oceans has helped with this. Also, we know little about their ecology and welfare. This is gradually changing, and the octopuses are likely to be the first beneficiaries. Scientists are finding that cephalopods are far more intelligent than we thought, with the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness suggesting they might possess this quality of mind. Partly as a result, the European Union has described and demanded good care for cephalopods such as the octopus in captivity. Public opinion has been swayed to approval by anecdotes of octopuses doing unusual actions, and by several recent books pointing out interesting and intelligent behavior of cephalopods. Aquariums have begun to feature octopuses for them. With this progress, welfare of invertebrate animals has begun to matter. While the octopuses will be the first animal group to benefit, they may pave the way for us to see that different does not mean unworthy of regard and welfare consideration.

E Pluribus Octo - Building Consensus on Standards of Care and Experimentation in Cephalopod Research; a Historical Outlook

The Directive 2010/63/EU "on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes" originally induced some concern among cephalopod researchers, because of the inclusion of cephalopod mollusks as the only invertebrates among the protected species. Here we reflect on the challenges and issues raised by the Directive on cephalopod science, and discuss some of the arguments that elicited discussion within the scientific community, to facilitate the implementation of the Directive 2010/63/EU in the scientific research context. A short overview of the aims of the COST Action FA1301 "CephsInAction," serves as a paradigmatic instance of a pragmatic and progressive approach adopted to respond to novel legislative concerns through community-building and expansion of the historical horizon. Between 2013 and 2017, the COST Action FA1301 has functioned as a hub for consolidation of the cephalopod research community, including about 200 representatives from 21 countries (19 European). Among its aims, CephsInAction promoted the collection, rationalization, and diffusion of knowledge relevant to cephalopods. In the Supplementary Material to this work, we present the translation of the first-published systematic set of guidelines on the care, management and maintenance of cephalopods in captivity (Grimpe, 1928), as an example of the potential advantages deriving from the confluence of pressing scientific concerns and historical interests.