The Grades

01 Floaters · 02 Medium · 03 Large · 04 Jumbo · 05 Colossal

Five grades, one catch, priced by the pound.

Floater new-shell stone crab claw on crushed ice

Floaters

New-shell · mixed sizes

New-shell claws — the crab has molted into a larger shell not yet full of meat. Thinner-shelled and less full than hard shells, but fresh, and a genuine value restaurants rarely carry.

approx.$12/lb

Medium hard-shell stone crab claw on crushed ice

Medium

Hard shell · under 3 oz per claw

The everyday cracking claw — clean, firm meat at the friendliest price of the hard shells.

approx.low $20s/lb

Large hard-shell stone crab claw on crushed ice

Large

Hard shell · 3–5 oz per claw

A generous claw with a satisfying yield — the popular middle of the board.

approx.low $30s/lb

Jumbo hard-shell stone crab claw on crushed ice

Jumbo

Hard shell · 5–7 oz per claw

Heavy, impressive claws for a table that wants presence.

approx.low $40s/lb

Colossal hard-shell stone crab claw on crushed ice

Colossal

Hard shell · 7+ oz per claw

The heaviest claws of the catch — the top of the register, and the showpiece of any spread.

approx.low $50s/lb

About Floaters

Floaters are new-shell claws. After a stone crab molts, it grows a larger shell that hasn't yet filled with meat — so the claw is thinner-shelled and less full than a hard shell. That's the whole story, and it's a good one.

They're fresh, they eat beautifully, and they're a real value. Restaurants typically skip them, which is exactly why Frank's sells them straight to people who know what they are: an insider's claw at a friendly price, not a lesser product.

A fresh new-shell stone crab floater claw on ice

Prices update biweekly and are approximate — subject to change through the season. Florida stone crab season runs October 15 – May 1.