One method for preparing crab that I have used involves separating the body section from the upper shell, this way you aren't boiling the guts, gills, etc with the meat. You stun the crabs by delivering a sharp jolt to them on the bottom centre of the shell, they go limp for a time. In this time you physically separate the crab leaving two sections of body and legs and the upper shell which has the "guts" and the brains.
I have personally seen the legs continue to move (and the pincers pinching) for several minutes after they have been removed from the crab. If you boil the leg sections right away they will move around in the pot. Keep in mind that these legs aren't connected to the brain, the brain is in the garbage 10 feet away.
How much of this movement is the shellfish actually "feeling" pain and how much is it's nervous system reacting to outside stimulus?
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