Are there any ethical issues in using Daphnia in experiments?

Answer 1

There are many arguments against the use of animals in scientific experiments. The most controversial issues tend to be related to the unnatural conditions in which they are kept and the somewhat risky tests that they are exposed to. Water fleas, such as Daphnia are classed as "unconscious" invertebrates and are therefore unlikely to experience emotions such as fear or anxiety that mammals do. Their transparent bodies also allow a heartbeat to be recorded under a microscope without the use of any invasive techniques, minimizing the stress that could be placed on the invertebrate However the daphnia that were used in experiment were biologically produced as food for fish, so if one were too die then it would not be a tremendous affect on the daphnia species.

When using animals in experiments, it is important to survey what is needed to be done to ensure that they remain in an almost stress-free environment. For this experiment, it is particularly important to succeed this, as stress causes an increase in heart rate and could therefore produce inaccurate results.