How should shellfish be stored?

Shellfish, especially cooked shellfish, should be taken directly home and placed in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If travel time exceeds two hours-- or one hour in hot weather--shellfish should be placed in a cooler in your car.
 
Storage temperatures for shellfish generally shouldn't exceed 40°F.  Maintaining a temperature  of 35°F or lower may extend the shelf life of shucked shellfish.
 
Keep live shellfish on the lower shelves of your refrigerator, below cooked or other ready-to-eat foods. Raw shellfish should not come in contact with cooked shellfish.
 
Store live clams, oysters and mussels in the  refrigerator in containers covered with damp towels or paper towels. Never place them in airtight containers or in fresh water.  (They are saltwater creatures.) Either environment will kill  them. For optimal quality, live shellfish should be stored at a temperature of  37°F. 
 
Temperatures of 35 degrees F or lower-- especially temperatures less than 32°F--can kill shellfish. Use an accurate refrigerator thermometer to check and adjust temperatures. Freezing is another option. The following are guidelines for freezing shellfish:
 
              • Store shucked shellfish in leak-proof wraps or containers.
              •  Lobster is best frozen in its shell.
              • Clams and oysters may be frozen in the shell or shucked.
              • Shellfish frozen in their shell should be wrapped in moisture-proof wrapping.
 
Source(s):
Nova Scotia Agriculture--Food Protection and Enforcement Division "Shellfish Food Safety"
Safeoysters.org "Safely Storing Oysters and Other Molluscan Shellfish"