Update publication information. Mytilus coruscus are one of the dominant shellfish in the Yangtze estuary, but they often face food deprivation due to seasonal fluctuations in algal abundance caused by seasonal freshwater flushing and high-density aquaculture. To investigate the coping strategies of M. coruscus to starvation stress, electron microscopy and differential proteomic analysis were performed on the important feeding organ gill of the mussels after 9 d of starvation stress. The electron microscopy results showed that the cilia of the mussel were dissolved and the gill filament gap was widened under starvation. The results of differential proteomic analysis showed that phagocytosis-related proteins ATPeV1E, ATPeV1C, LAMP1_2 and CTSL were significantly upregulated, combined with a significant increase in myeloperoxidase (MPO) in mussel blood and a large number of dead cells in blood, which led to the conclusion that the mussel responded to the starvation environment by changing the gill tissue structure on the one hand, and by activate cell phagocytosis pathway on the other hand. The results showed that the M. coruscus respond to starvation by changing the gill structure and recycling energy and nutrients from dead cells through phagocytosis. In addition, proteomic data suggest that M. coruscus starvation tolerance traits are related to immune maintenance, cellular transport and metabolism. These studies suggest that phagocytosis is an important strategy for mussels to cope with starvation, which providing new scientific knowledge and theoretical basis for understanding the adaptation mechanisms of M. coruscus to starvation tolerance and for rational optimization of mussel culture patterns.