As one of the most diverse and abundant taxonomic groups, shellfish plays important roles in energy flow and nutrient cycling in marine ecosystems. However, this process has been badly hampered by invasive shellfish. Invasive shellfish become the dominant species after their establishment, threaten native species and inhibit the growth of other species, erode fishing facilities and artificial structures, leading to ecosystem damage, economic loss and inconvenience to locals. The study of biological invasions by shellfish has received intensive attentions in the marine environment in many developed countries, and researches mainly focused on studying inherent traits of species, invasion pathway, developing technology for early warning and controlling, and improving ability to generate invasion theory and manage invasive species. However, the study of the shellfish invasions has not been well received enough attention in China as well as other aquatic invasion species. This review aims to summarize the main invasive shellfish (including Mytilopsis sallei, Crepidula onyx, and Mytilus galloprovincialis) of Chinese coasts and discuss their damage to local ecosystems based on their special traits or behavior. At the same time, according to the characteristics and the control of the invasion process, it was suggested that we should strengthen the early warning and detection, and the prevention and management.