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It seems that the phrase "and a mass of snapping claws" simply means "and a bunch of predators". I am not sure.
What does the phrase mean?
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Animals Use Social Distancing to Avoid Disease
Lobsters, birds and some primates use quarantine to ward off infections
The ability of spiny lobsters to detect and avoid infected group mates has been key to their persistence in the face of Panulirus argus virus 1, which kills more than half of the juvenile lobsters it infects. Young lobsters are easy pickings for the virus because the animals are so social, at times denning in groups of up to 20. Safe homes in sponges, corals or rocky crevices along the ocean floor—and a mass of snapping claws—help the group of creatures defend against hungry predators such as triggerfish. Nevertheless, in the early 2000s researcher Don Behringer of the University of Florida and his colleagues noticed that some young lobsters were denning solo, even though it left them vulnerable.
Source: Scientific American By Dana M. Hawley, Julia C. Buck | Scientific American August 2020 Issue
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/animals-use-social-distancing-to-avoid-disease1/
What does the phrase mean?
==========================
Animals Use Social Distancing to Avoid Disease
Lobsters, birds and some primates use quarantine to ward off infections
The ability of spiny lobsters to detect and avoid infected group mates has been key to their persistence in the face of Panulirus argus virus 1, which kills more than half of the juvenile lobsters it infects. Young lobsters are easy pickings for the virus because the animals are so social, at times denning in groups of up to 20. Safe homes in sponges, corals or rocky crevices along the ocean floor—and a mass of snapping claws—help the group of creatures defend against hungry predators such as triggerfish. Nevertheless, in the early 2000s researcher Don Behringer of the University of Florida and his colleagues noticed that some young lobsters were denning solo, even though it left them vulnerable.
Source: Scientific American By Dana M. Hawley, Julia C. Buck | Scientific American August 2020 Issue
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/animals-use-social-distancing-to-avoid-disease1/
