This study investigated spectroscopic characteristics of shell crystals of eight marine bivalve species using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis; moreover, the Family level relatedness of shellfish was investigated. In XRD analysis, the shells of Ruditapes philippinarum, Meretrix lusoria, Anadara granosa, and Fulvia mutica were found to have orthorhombic aragonite CaCO3 crystals, while shells of Patinopecten yessoensis and Crassostrea gigas had trigonal-rhombohedral calcite crystals. The shells of Mytilus coruscus and Atrina pectinata were determined to have a mixture of aragonite and calcite crystals. XRD information revealed the Family level-specific characteristics of shellfish; the results agreed with the current taxonomic system. In conclusion, spectroscopic characteristics of shell crystals indicated Family-level characteristics of shellfish and suggested a more intense species-level investigation; this technology may be useful in identifying shellfish species using small quantities of shells.