Bivalve mollusks incorporate life-history traits in their shells during growth making them valuable archives of environmental, biological and evolutionary information. This thesis provides insights into the biological and environmental drivers of shell growth in Callista chione, Glycymeris bimaculata and Glycymeris pilosa. The study was performed in the middle-eastern Adriatic Sea (Pag Bay, Cetina river mouth and Pašman Channel) from May 2014 until October 2015. A characterization of the feeding ecology of these species within their habitat analyzed several biochemical parameters including stable isotope and fatty acid composition. The reproductive behavior was studied applying two complementary approaches, histology and gonadosomatic index. Lastly, stable isotope analyses of carbonate samples were linked to high-resolution temperature records to describe shell microgrowth patterns. Spring and summer were identified as the periods with the best food quality in the particulate matter. Food resource partitioning was observed between C. chione and G. bimaculata at each site and the nitrogen isotopic composition of bivalve tissues was influenced by the presence of diazotroph biomass which differentiated among sites. Inter-site variations in the spawning timing and duration of C. chione were likely associated with temperature whereas in Glycymeris sp. spawning was not directly connected. Such small-scale biological responses are essential to address climate oscillation influences. Shell accretion took place between May and December pointing (i) temperature as an important determinant of shell growth (ii) food availability setting the limits for the growth season and (iii) the onset of gametogenesis close to the growth line formation, evidencing higher energy requirements for reproduction. These results contribute to knowledge on bivalve ecology in the Adriatic Sea and outlined the importance of coupling sclerochronology to ecological studies for a better understanding of species life-history traits.