I’d caution readers to be aware of our tendency to anthropomorphize animals. Whatever crustaceans feel, it’s not remotely close to what we experience as pain. Even “higher” animals like fish lack the part of the brain where pain hits us.

A fish can be swimming around trailing its guts, still eating and mating, chasing rivals. I’ve seen it in my aquariums. A mammal with a broken bone exhibits clear symptoms of depression, won’t eat, fight or fuck. I’ve had a lot of broken bones myself. Know how you know it’s broken? You can’t move it.

And consider, even an amoeba will react to negative stimulus. That’s baked into evolution.

Having said all that, I have a great deal of empathy for even something silly as a locust. Killed a lot of animals over the years that were hurting and mortally wounded, can’t bring myself to ignore suffering.

(Now someone will shout that I don’t think animals can feel pain. Go on. Get it over with.)