As Paul has pointed out, it seems unlikely that most molluscs, with
their *extremely* limited brain-power,  experience any more than the
faintest inklings of awareness or "pain". That said, Octopi and squid
are most assuredly capable of experiencing MUCH more, both
quantitatively and qualitatively, than a scallop or Thais - they are
alert, surprisingly intelligent beings capable of learning more than
most folks realize, and solving problems the average poodle would find
daunting.  Therefore, i think it safe to say that the topic of what, and
how much invertebrates in general or molluscs in particular "feel" or
are aware of, is a relative one that applies even to the "lower" levels
in question - a filter-feeding Mytilus certainly doesn't have any
"feelings" in the way we usually define them, while i am not sure the
same thing could be said for something like a fish-eating Conus or other
advanced invertebrate predator: on one end of the "invertebrate
spectrum", the more active Cephalopods are clearly "aware" on some
level, and more likely to experience things such as "pain", while a
filter feeder would indeed be closer to an amoeba in these respects -
but can we categorically say that all the organisms inbetween these two
extremes are completely and absoloutely unaware and incapable of
exeriencing something approaching what we as humans would term "pain?
(and if that ramble seemed a tad garbled, please forgive - i just pulled
an "all-nighter": something which just **doesn't** seem to get any
easier as one grows older......).

 From the Great Wet North on a true Spring day,
Ross mayhew.

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