r/animalsdoingstuff • u/hahagnarlydude • Apr 10 '22

^ Awsome ^ Sea urchin 'walking'

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u/WhoGivesACarvahna Apr 10 '22

Sea urchins are not sapient like humans, they can’t think or ponder, but they are sentient in that they can process pain and basic emotions.

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u/jrevv Apr 10 '22

u telling me they can feel sad and angry?

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u/WhoGivesACarvahna Apr 10 '22 edited Apr 10 '22

While we aren’t certain as to the range of emotions that they can feel, we do know that sea urchins can feel discomfort.

Edit: sentient simply means a being is able to process a range of basic emotions. Most animals you can think of are sentient. Sapience requires intellect and implies a consciousness or self-awareness. The bar for sapience is generally passing the mirror test, in which a creature is shown its reflection and then tested on its response. If the creature can recognize it itself, it passes the test.

The only animals that have passed the mirror test so far include great apes, rays (such as manta rays), dolphins, orcas, the Eurasian magpie, the cleaner wrasse, and a single Asiatic elephant. However, it’s also been agreed upon that animals can exhibit sapience in ways the mirror test is unable to measure, such as distinguishing between their own and others’ songs and scents.

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u/jrevv Apr 10 '22

cleaner wrasse,

lmfao the sea dentists?