# How much pain does a severed fish feel, and for how long? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 21, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473 "2013-11-21T21:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/21 "2013-11-23T03:20:24Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > An aside: You really shouldn’t do these. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/22 "2013-11-23T03:22:27Z")
There was a Psychology professor at the University of Wyoming named Jim Rose who about 30 years ago claimed to have proven that fish have memories only .30 seconds long. He was an avid fisherman, though, which may have influenced his results. He was out to prove fishing is not cruel. ---
**Author:** ![kaltkalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@kaltkalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaltkalt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/23 "2013-11-23T03:25:10Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Huh. I’ve been around plenty of critters too dumb to pass the mirror test who were nevertheless fully aware of the concept of “pain” and that they would prefer to avoid it at all costs. Mirror test isn’t one of intelligence. It’s about self-awareness. Though I do concede i’ve met plenty of people who can only pass the mirror test because they know what a mirror is and what it does… it’s identification and recall - not self-awareness. I actually think most people are not self-aware. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to kill them (let alone in a painful manner) but if one is going to be killed, better off killing one who isn’t self-aware. All creatures with nerve endings capable of feeling pain want to avoid it. That doesn’t mean they would be consciously aware of it. Just fleeing from a negative stimulus. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/24 "2013-11-23T03:43:05Z")
I hope they don’t. I always feel bad when we go to a fancy sashimi place and they serve the fish all cut up but with the head and tail on the plate for dramatic effect - and the fish is still moving its mouth and gills. I still eat it, because it’s delicious, but I feel bad. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/25 "2013-11-23T09:20:06Z")
Some of you guys seem to be implying that my grandmother was guilty of waterboarding. I’m not surprised. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/26 "2013-11-23T10:46:38Z")
Using the Derenvelle-scale, the pain a fish feels after having its body severed from the head can be fairly accurately modelled as _Ds(t) = e^(-t/1.1) - 0.003_ where _Ds_ is the pain level on the relative Derenvelle-scale and\* t\* is the time in seconds. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473/27 "2013-11-23T10:58:29Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Some of you guys seem to be implying that my grandmother was guilty of waterboarding. I’m not surprised. Schnappsboarding [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-pain-does-a-severed-fish-feel-and-for-how-long/674473.md?page=1)