After hearing from PETA that scientific studies show that prawns feel pain, Nishiki Sushi restaurant in Sacramento has informed PETA that it will no longer serve a cruel dish that's often called "dancing prawns." The dish's name is a reference to the writhing that the animals engage in when their protective shells are ripped off and acidic lemon juice is squeezed onto their raw flesh before they are eaten alive. PETA contacted the restaurant after receiving complaints from several patrons. "We [were] not aware that prawn[s] can feel pain," wrote Danny Leung, president of Nishiki Sushi Inc. "[W]e will no longer serve … prawn[s] alive. … Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

"By agreeing to stop serving live prawns, Mr. Leung has given the benefit of the doubt to these sensitive animals," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich. "Even though they are tiny and strange, they feel pain, and who can argue with that? Even nonvegetarian restaurants realize that decisions that reduce animal suffering are good for animals and good for business."

Scientific research demonstrates that prawns feel pain, just as other animals do. A 2007 Queen's University Belfast study found that when prawns have acid dabbed onto one of their antennae, they respond by grooming the affected area and rubbing it against the side of the tank—just as a dog might lick an injured paw. And just as anesthetics alleviate discomfort in humans and dogs, they dull pain in prawns. The prawns felt no need to groom or rub their antennae when they were given painkillers. Researchers concluded that these results are "consistent with the idea that these crustaceans can experience pain."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Note of disclosure: David Perle works in the communications department at PETA