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What’s the difference between clams, mussels, and oysters?
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Oysters, clams and mussels arranged on crushed ice with clearly visible price tag at a seafood market. Bright orange giant Pacific rock scallop attached to a rocky coral reef, surrounded by colorful marine algae and corals in Whaler's Cove, Carmel, California.
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Oysters, clams and mussels arranged on crushed ice with clearly visible price tag at a seafood market.
Clams, mussels, and oysters are popular seafood options Telling them apart on market ice requires a closer look at their shells.

What’s the difference between clams, mussels, and oysters?

Written by
Manjishtha Bhattacharyya
Manjishtha Bhattacharyya is an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She holds a PhD in zoology from Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, and has more than seven years of experience in science communication...
Manjishtha Bhattacharyya
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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Although they are frequent neighbors on market ice and easily confused because of the similarity in their appearance, these three shellfish are as distinct from one another as cats, civets, and genets. They all belong to the same molluscan class—Bivalvia—but differ when it comes to where they live, what they look like up close, and how they interact with their environment. Before diving into the details of what sets each animal apart, let us first...

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