Clams vs Mussels: 6 Main Differences Explained
Clams and mussels are popular seafood. Some people like one over the other, while other people enjoy both, and some have never eaten either. They can be somewhat intimidating for people who are hesitant about shellfish. If you want to try them, it’s best to get familiar with them.
Clams and mussels are both mollusks, and although they are obviously different in flavor, people don’t know much else off the top of their heads. How would you be able to tell between the two? Which one has better nutrition? How do you cook them? We’ll go through all of their unique features below.
Comparing Clams vs Mussels
| Clam | Mussel | |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Freshwater & saltwater; halfway buried | Freshwater & saltwater; attached to substrate in groups |
| Shell | Round or long (razor) shaped, stout, fat, smooth, oval equally-sized halves, organs inside, hard to open | Oblong, irregular round, thin, rough, and either black, dark blue or brown, silver or grey inside |
| Size | Various sizes; largest is 4.25 ft long and 500lbs | Marketable at 40mm |
| Diet | Filter feeding | Filter feeding |
| Life cycle | No parasitic stage | Glochidia stage |
| Taste | Strong flavor, salty, fishy, chewy, keeps better out of water | Somewhat bland, mild, tender, chewy, spoils easily |
| Cooking technique | Raw or cooked various ways | Cooked various ways; needs sauce |
| Taxonomy | Phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, most are subclass Heterodonta | Phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia |
| Nutrition | Vitamin C, vitamin B12, potassium, copper, calcium, phosphorus | Vitamin B1, iron, selenium, folate, magnesium |
6 Key Differences Between Clams and Mussels
Clams vs Mussels: Shell
There are many types of clams and mussels, and they can be of different sizes. Some clams can grow to be much larger than mussels, though. If you look at and handle their shells, you can notice several differences no matter their species. A clam’s shell always has two equally-sized halves and they tend to be oval, except for the razor clam, and it’s also smooth and being very tightly closed, making it hard to open. But a mussel’s shell is rough and irregularly round or oblong, thin, and longer than it is wide. It is either black, dark brown, or blue in color, with a silver or grey inside.
Within the shell, you will notice both have muscular feet and pearls but there’s another difference, which is the clam’s presence of organs. A clam has a heart, circulatory system, and some digestive system parts. A mussel has an enveloping mantle to secrete the shell, front and back adductor muscles to open or close the shell, two pairs of gills, and labial palps to move food to its mouth.
Clams vs Mussels: Habitat
You can see clams and mussels living in either fresh or saltwater, but how they live is different from each other. Clams are halfway buried in sand or riverbeds, which is why finding clams is called clam-digging. Mussels live in groups and attach themselves to a substrate using thin threads called byssal threads.
Clams vs Mussels: Life cycle
Although they both reproduce sexually, clams and mussels have a big difference: mussels have a parasitic stage called glochidia in which the larvae attach to a fish’s gills, fins, or body to be distributed throughout a body of water.
Clams vs Mussels: Taste
Clams and mussels are both chewy. Clams have a stronger flavor reminiscent of the sea and are salty or fishy. Mussels have a milder, tender flavor that is somewhat bland, so they tend to be served with a sauce or in a stew.
Clams vs Mussels: Cooking technique
Both clams and mussels can be cooked in various ways, including steamed, stuffed and baked, roasted, grilled, and stewed. Steaming is the easiest and most common cooking method for mussels, while clams are best known in clam chowder. You can choose to eat clams raw, but mussels must be cooked. Also, clams keep better out of the water but take longer to cook.
Clams vs Mussels: Nutrition
Both clams and mussels are good for you as great sources of protein, low in calories and saturated fats, and they contain all of the essential amino acids you need, especially omega-3 fatty acids. They differ in the types of nutrients and the number of nutrients they have, although there are individual differences between species as well. Both are rich in zinc, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and sodium. Compared to mussels, however, clams, in general, have more vitamin C, vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium. Mussels have more vitamin B1, iron, selenium, folate, and magnesium than clams They also have less sodium, so they’re better for people who need to watch their sodium intake.
Next Up: 12 Animals That Don’t Have a Brain and How The Heck They Survive!
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Which are better, mussels or clams?
Overall, clams are richer in nutrients but mussels have less sodium.
Are mussels and clams the same thing?
No. Both are bivalve mollusks but that’s where their similarities end.
Are clams or mussels healthy?
Yes. They are even higher in protein than finned fish, and have omega-3 fatty acids and all other essential amino acids.
Are mussels or clams cheaper?
Mussels are much cheaper than clams. It’s because it’s easier to grow mussels, which can be grown on ropes suspended in water than to dig clams from sand or the seafloor.
More from A-Z Animals
Clams and mussels are popular seafood. Some people like one over the other, while other people enjoy both, and some have never eaten either. They can be somewhat intimidating for people who are hesitant about shellfish. If you want to try them, it’s best to get familiar with them.
Clams and mussels are both mollusks, and although they are obviously different in flavor, people don’t know much else off the top of their heads. How would you be able to tell between the two? Which one has better nutrition? How do you cook them? We’ll go through all of their unique features below.
Comparing Clams vs Mussels
| Clam | Mussel | |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Freshwater & saltwater; halfway buried | Freshwater & saltwater; attached to substrate in groups |
| Shell | Round or long (razor) shaped, stout, fat, smooth, oval equally-sized halves, organs inside, hard to open | Oblong, irregular round, thin, rough, and either black, dark blue or brown, silver or grey inside |
| Size | Various sizes; largest is 4.25 ft long and 500lbs | Marketable at 40mm |
| Diet | Filter feeding | Filter feeding |
| Life cycle | No parasitic stage | Glochidia stage |
| Taste | Strong flavor, salty, fishy, chewy, keeps better out of water | Somewhat bland, mild, tender, chewy, spoils easily |
| Cooking technique | Raw or cooked various ways | Cooked various ways; needs sauce |
| Taxonomy | Phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, most are subclass Heterodonta | Phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia |
| Nutrition | Vitamin C, vitamin B12, potassium, copper, calcium, phosphorus | Vitamin B1, iron, selenium, folate, magnesium |
6 Key Differences Between Clams and Mussels
Clams vs Mussels: Shell
There are many types of clams and mussels, and they can be of different sizes. Some clams can grow to be much larger than mussels, though. If you look at and handle their shells, you can notice several differences no matter their species. A clam’s shell always has two equally-sized halves and they tend to be oval, except for the razor clam, and it’s also smooth and being very tightly closed, making it hard to open. But a mussel’s shell is rough and irregularly round or oblong, thin, and longer than it is wide. It is either black, dark brown, or blue in color, with a silver or grey inside.
Within the shell, you will notice both have muscular feet and pearls but there’s another difference, which is the clam’s presence of organs. A clam has a heart, circulatory system, and some digestive system parts. A mussel has an enveloping mantle to secrete the shell, front and back adductor muscles to open or close the shell, two pairs of gills, and labial palps to move food to its mouth.
Clams vs Mussels: Habitat
You can see clams and mussels living in either fresh or saltwater, but how they live is different from each other. Clams are halfway buried in sand or riverbeds, which is why finding clams is called clam-digging. Mussels live in groups and attach themselves to a substrate using thin threads called byssal threads.
Clams vs Mussels: Life cycle
Although they both reproduce sexually, clams and mussels have a big difference: mussels have a parasitic stage called glochidia in which the larvae attach to a fish’s gills, fins, or body to be distributed throughout a body of water.
Clams vs Mussels: Taste
Clams and mussels are both chewy. Clams have a stronger flavor reminiscent of the sea and are salty or fishy. Mussels have a milder, tender flavor that is somewhat bland, so they tend to be served with a sauce or in a stew.
Clams vs Mussels: Cooking technique
Both clams and mussels can be cooked in various ways, including steamed, stuffed and baked, roasted, grilled, and stewed. Steaming is the easiest and most common cooking method for mussels, while clams are best known in clam chowder. You can choose to eat clams raw, but mussels must be cooked. Also, clams keep better out of the water but take longer to cook.
Clams vs Mussels: Nutrition
Both clams and mussels are good for you as great sources of protein, low in calories and saturated fats, and they contain all of the essential amino acids you need, especially omega-3 fatty acids. They differ in the types of nutrients and the number of nutrients they have, although there are individual differences between species as well. Both are rich in zinc, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and sodium. Compared to mussels, however, clams, in general, have more vitamin C, vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium. Mussels have more vitamin B1, iron, selenium, folate, and magnesium than clams They also have less sodium, so they’re better for people who need to watch their sodium intake.
Next Up: 12 Animals That Don’t Have a Brain and How The Heck They Survive!