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The structure and mechanical behavior of Saxidomus purpuratus bivalve shell were investigated. XRD results show that the only form of calcium carbonate present in the shell is aragonite. The inner and middle layers have a cross-lamellar structure, while the outer layer has porosity and does not have tiles, but instead has 'blocky' regions. The hardness of middle and inner layer are close in both plane view and cross section, but the hardness of outer layer is significantly less, especially in the plane view. The compressive strengths with loading along the three orientations were established and significant differences were found. The Weibull strength at 50% of the probability of failure varies between 59 and 148 MPa and is dependent on the loading orientation and in condition of shell (dry vs. hydrated). These differences are interpreted in terms of the anisotropic structure and coarser structure of the external layer. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.