Sclerochronology, the study of calcified structures to reconstruct the past history of living organisms, is central to fish biology and fisheries management. This manual aims to provide an overview of the current theoretical and practical aspects of sclerochronological studies. By providing information on the nature of calcified structures (otoliths, scales, skeleton), their uses in fish research and methods for preparation and examination, the manual constitutes a comprehensive guide for researchers, technicians and students either new to the field or interested in expanding their range of expertise. The enclosed multimedia version (DVD) is supplemented by videos illustrating the main technical procedures with an alternative navigation mode based on decision trees.