Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research

Aging Mussel Shells

We've all heard of counting a tree's rings to determine its age, but did you know a similar procedure is used to determine the age of mussel shells? CBHR technician Mickey Bland takes us through the process.

Step 1: Halving the shell

Using a special low-speed saw with a wet diamond-edged cutting blade, the mussel shell is first cut through the umbo, or tip, which is the oldest part of the shell.