Valva
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Clasper)
For other uses, see Valva (disambiguation).
In biology, a clasper or valva (plural valvae) is an anatomical structure of certain male animals used in mating.
In entomology, it is a structure in male insects that is used to hold the female during copulation.
Male cartilaginous fish have claspers formed from the posterior portion of their pelvic fins, which serve as intromittent organs used to channel semen into the female's cloaca during copulation. Male chimaeras also have cephalic claspers on their heads, which are thought to aid in holding the female during mating.
 |
This insect-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This fish-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
