The main objective of this document is to provide a useful guideline to the age determination methodologies applied to cephalopods using statolith reading. The document is the result of the training activities on this issue organized by the FAO regional Projects AdriaMed and MedSudMed in 2006 and 2007. A selection of methods to extract, prepare and examine statoliths is described in detail. A brief introduction describing the importance of growth studies in cephalopods, as well as the function, internal structure and shape of statoliths is also included. Chapter 1 contains the background information. Chapter 2 describes the terminology used and illustrates the position, morphology and function of statoliths in cephalopods. In Chapter 3 the equipment, materials and the procedure used to extract, clean and prepare statoliths for reading, and the methods for growth increment counting (statoliths reading) are described. Finally in Chapter 4 the potential results of the age determination by using statolith analysis are illustrated. A Glossary is also included in the manual.