Valva: Definition from Answers.com

For other uses, see Valva (disambiguation).

The claspers of a wobbegong shark (Orectolobus maculatus).

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.

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		Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Valva". Read more

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	Valva (disambiguation)