Definition of claspers in English:
claspers
plural nounˈklɑːspəzˈklaspərz
Zoology A pair of appendages under the abdomen of a male shark or ray, or at the end of the abdomen of a male insect, used to hold the female during copulation.
Example sentencesExamples
- Note that the ‘rudimentary legs’ on some snakes are acknowledged as having a function during reproduction, as claspers during copulation.
- The claspers are assumed to function in copulation.
- In a further effort to identify our specimens, we examined the left and right claspers from one of the male specimens.
- No specimens with male claspers, either fully or partially developed, were detected.
- In males, the first two pairs of thoracic appendages are hooked and serve as claspers during mating.