--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But for the moment, she said, her…" description: "\"“But for the moment, she said, her previous studies with trout suggest that fish in pain will not behave normally, that they will either be less alert ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/virginia-morell-41308_fish_but-for-the-moment-she-said-her-previous_2790681.jpg" --- # But for the moment, she said, her previous studies with… ![“But for the moment, she said, her previous studies with trout suggest that fish in pain will not behave normally, that they will either be less alert to the potential danger or ignore it completely. “I think it shows that painful experiences do affect the ability of fish to make decisions; that…” quote by Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/virginia-morell-41308_fish_but-for-the-moment-she-said-her-previous_2790681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/virginia-morell-41308_fish_but-for-the-moment-she-said-her-previous_2790681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/virginia-morell-41308_fish_but-for-the-moment-she-said-her-previous_2790681.jpg) > ““But for the moment, she said, her previous studies with trout suggest that fish in pain will not behave normally, that they will either be less alert to the potential danger or ignore it completely. “I think it shows that painful experiences do affect the ability of fish to make decisions; that they’re in a vulnerable state after something painful happens to them because they are suffering. Fish have the cognitive capacity to experience emotions, and are self-aware, and conscious,” Braithwaite said.”” [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fish experience pain, emotions, and decision‑making, showing vulnerability after injury. **In simple terms:** Fish feel pain and emotions. Key Takeaway Treat animals with compassion. Themes animal welfare cognition ethics Mood concerned thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - aquaculture - research labs - wildlife rescue Key Concepts sentience neuroscience Questions to Reflect On - Do we have moral obligations to fish? - How should this affect fishing practices? A Different Perspective Scientific consensus on fish sentience is still debated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [When fish experience something that would cause other animals physical pain, they behave in ways suggestive of pain, and the change in behaviour may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/when-fish-experience-something-that-would-cause-other-animals/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Fish are unable, of course, to speak for themselves about how we treat them. They have ways of communicating with each other and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/fish-are-unable-of-course-to-speak-for-themselves-about-how-we-treat/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“It's a familiar, if not exactly inspiring, message: in the face of slim pickings, lower your standards. It also makes clear the converse: with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/it-s-a-familiar-if-not-exactly-inspiring-message-in-the-face-of-slim/) [Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/) > [“Similarly, take the time to get into shape so you can get to that great spot and be able to fish it all day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-deeter/similarly-take-the-time-to-get-into-shape-so-you-can-get-to-that/) Kirk Deeter > [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) Gza > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/if-this-were-a-fairy-tale-this-would-be-the-part-where-the-fishboy/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) ## More by Virginia Morell > [“Fish are unable, of course, to speak for themselves about how we treat them. They have ways of communicating with each other and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/fish-are-unable-of-course-to-speak-for-themselves-about-how-we-treat/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“A large brain-to-body size ratio is often considered a hallmark of intelligence, although it’s not the only factor. But it is something we humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/a-large-brain-to-body-size-ratio-is-often-considered-a-hallmark-of/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“When poachers target the matriarchs or older females—as they often do, because older elephants usually have larger tusks—they also destroy that lifetime of learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/when-poachers-target-the-matriarchs-or-older-females-as-they-often-do/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“Researches still don't have an explanation for the differnece between the sizes of dogs' and wolves' brains - or for why every species of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/researches-still-don-t-have-an-explanation-for-the-differnece-between/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“Often, when an elephant has just died, other elephants will back up to touch its carcass gently with their hind feet, then cover the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/often-when-an-elephant-has-just-died-other-elephants-will-back-up-to/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“Elephants also have the necessary neural anatomy for long-term memories—their brains have especially large and complex frontal lobes, which are important for storing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/elephants-also-have-the-necessary-neural-anatomy-for-long-term/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“Dolphins have one of the highest ratios of brain size to body mass in the animal kingdom. Measured in this way, a dolphin’s brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/dolphins-have-one-of-the-highest-ratios-of-brain-size-to-body-mass-in/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“In the very earliest times, when both people and animals lived on earth, a person could become an animal if he wanted to, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/in-the-very-earliest-times-when-both-people-and-animals-lived-on/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [“The greatest threat to all wild animals is the loss of habitat—the destruction of the areas and resources they need to survive. Climate change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/the-greatest-threat-to-all-wild-animals-is-the-loss-of-habitat-the/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) [Explore all 10 Virginia Morell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) ## More Fish quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) > [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/if-this-were-a-fairy-tale-this-would-be-the-part-where-the-fishboy/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) Gza > [“Fish are unable, of course, to speak for themselves about how we treat them. They have ways of communicating with each other and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/fish-are-unable-of-course-to-speak-for-themselves-about-how-we-treat/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [“Similarly, take the time to get into shape so you can get to that great spot and be able to fish it all day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-deeter/similarly-take-the-time-to-get-into-shape-so-you-can-get-to-that/) Kirk Deeter > [“It's a familiar, if not exactly inspiring, message: in the face of slim pickings, lower your standards. It also makes clear the converse: with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/it-s-a-familiar-if-not-exactly-inspiring-message-in-the-face-of-slim/) [Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/) > [The kind of fishing that I do is pretty much bass, trout or freshwater fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-steyn/the-kind-of-fishing-that-i-do-is-pretty-much-bass-trout-or-freshwater/) [Dale Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-steyn/) [Browse all 2,977 Fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But for the moment, she said, her previous studies with trout suggest that fish in pain will not behave normally, that they will either be less alert to the potential danger or ignore it completely. “I think it shows that painful experiences do affect the ability of fish to make decisions; that they’re in a vulnerable state after something painful happens to them because they are suffering. 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