Clasper
Male anatomical structure found in some groups of animals, used in mating
In biology, a clasper is a male anatomical structure found in some groups of animals, used in mating.
Male cartilaginous fish have claspers formed from the posterior portion of their pelvic fin which serve to channel semen into the female's cloaca during mating. The act of mating in some fish including sharks usually includes one of the claspers raised to allow water into the siphon through a specific orifice. The clasper is then inserted into the cloaca, where it opens like an umbrella to anchor its position. The siphon then begins to contract, expelling water and sperm. The claspers of many shark species have spines or hooks, which may hold them in place during copulation. Many male holocephalans, including living chimaeras, have cephalic claspers (tenacula) on their heads, which are thought to aid in holding the female during mating.
In entomology, it is a structure in male insects that is used to hold the female during copulation (see Lepidoptera genitalia for more).
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Clasper”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Harpagofututor volsellorhinus.png by SeismicShrimp, CC BY 4.0
- Wobbegong claspers.jpg by Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Carcharhinus brevipinna JNC3077 Male parts.JPG by Jean-Lou Justine, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ischyodus quenstedti or egertoni.png by Gasmasque, CC BY 4.0
- Spotted Ratfish Clasper.png by Benson02, CC BY-SA 4.0
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