Instructions: DUNGENESS: These crabs, most prominent at San Franciscos Fishermans Wharf, can be found from the Aleutian Islands to Southern California and are in season from November through February. The meat is very sweet and feathery. The shelled meat is best when served cold.

KING: These large crabs are found in the northern Pacific Ocean, from Alaska to Russia and Japan. The crabs usually are broken into sections, glazed in brine and frozen before shipping.

ATLANTIC BLUE: These crabs can be found from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico. The largest concentrations are in the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico.

They crabs get their name from the blue color on the male claws. Fresh shelled crab sold at a seafood counter often has been pasteurized and is ready to eat.

The firm, sweet meat is equally good served hot or cold.

JONAH, ROCK OR PEEKYTOE: These are various names for the crabs found primarily from Canada to Cape Cod. They have large claws and knuckles, which are the major source of their meat.

STONE: In season from October to May, the hardy crabs are harvested off the coasts of Florida and Texas. The crabs are pulled from the sea, shorn of one claw (ouch!) and returned to the water, where a claw grows anew. The process takes from a year to 18 months. Claw sizes are classified from medium (about seven claws per pound) to colossal (one or two claws per pound). Stone crabs are purchased already cooked and chilled.

SOFT-SHELL: Blue crabs that have shed their winter shell and have not yet grown the new, hard shell for the summer. The crabs are "dressed," or cleaned, by having the eyes and gills removed. After that, every bit of the crab may be eaten; best served pan- or deep-fried; they do not take well to boiling, steaming or grilling.

SHE-CRABS: Have you ever seen "she-crab" soup on the menu? You will if you travel to Charleston, S.C., where its a popular local specialty. It simply means soup made with female blue crabs and their roe, which give the soup a pink tinge.

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