What is "amplexus"

n. A form of pseudocopulation, found chiefly in amphibians and horseshoe crabs, in which a male grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process.

Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a type of mating behavior exhibited by some externally fertilizing species (chiefly amphibians and horseshoe crabs) in which a male grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process, and at the same time or with some time delay, he fertilizes the female eggs as they are released from the body. In amphibians, females may be grasped by the head, waist, or armpits, and the type of amplexus is characteristic of some taxonomic groups. Amplexus involves direct contact between male and female, distinguished from other forms of external fertilization such as broadcast spawning, where sperm and eggs are freely shed into water without direct contact by individuals.

Amplexus was an Italian record label that was founded by Stefano Gentile that specialized in limited-edition mini CDs by notable ambient artists such as Steve Roach, vidnaObmana, Robert Rich, and Michael Stearns. It went out of business in 2003 and was replaced by Silentes.