Kapingamarangi English

n. dussumieri tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus dussumieri,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. keeltail needlefish

Scientific name: Platybelone platyura,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bicolor cleaner wrasse

Scientific name: Labroides bicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

bottom fishing

n. bluefin trevally

Scientific name: Caranx melampygus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. oysters

n. crown of thorns starfish

Example: Photo by Matt Kiefer December 5, 2011 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. flatfish (flounder, halibut, etc)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. streamlined spinefoot

Scientific name: Siganus argenteus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

n. small clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vi. octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. eel variety

Scientific name: Synaphobranchus brachysomus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. brown marbled grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus fuscoguttatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noun shell

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library October 25, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. violet squirrel fish

Example: Photo by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble May 26, 2011 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Holocentrus violaceus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. yellowfin tuna

Example: Photo by Nils Rinaldi October 8, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Neothynnus macropterus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

angelfish species

Scientific name: Pomacanthidae sp.

n. fish sp.: spiny puffer

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. land crab

Example: Juvenile Strawberry Land Hermit Crab. Photo by warrenski November 23, 2011 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

inky secretion of squid

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. squid ink

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. jack fish

Example: Photo by Kevin Bryant December 29, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Scientific name: Caranx hippos,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

n. branching coral

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 22, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. spadefish and batfish species

Scientific name: Chaetodipterus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. gill of a fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

tentacles of an octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. turtle

Example: Photo by c.lathe July 6, 2008 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluespine unicornfish; whitemargin unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso unicornis; Naso annulatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sailfin tang

Scientific name: Zebrasoma veliferum,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. clam that stands on its own

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. six-banded wrasse

Scientific name: Thalassoma hardwickii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 22, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

school of red snapper

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish name (used only in compounds)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. blue marlin

Scientific name: Makaira nigricans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. giant guitarfish

Scientific name: Rhynchobatus djiddensis

n. whale in general

n. spotted eagle ray

Scientific name: Aetobatis narinari,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. eel

Example: Giant Moray. Photo by Derek Keats. August 28, 2011 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

n. bullet parrotfish

Scientific name: Chlorurus sordidus

n. orangespine unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso lituratus

n. whitespotted filefish; honeycomb filefish

Scientific name: Cantherhines dumerilii; Cantherhines pardalis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro

n. snail or slug in shell

n. eel species (many species)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. banded snake eel

Scientific name: Myrichthys colubrinus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. octopus ink

n. painted sweetlips

Scientific name: Plectorhinchus picus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. olive-scribbled wrasse

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

Scientific name: Novaculichthys macrolepidotus; Novaculichthys taeniourus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spotted firmfin

Scientific name: Cirrhites pinnulatus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. yellowtail coris

Scientific name: Coris gaimard

n. surgeonfish species

Scientific name: Acanthurus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. epaulette surgeonfish; orange shoulder tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigricauda; Acanthurus olicaceus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. pale-lipped surgeonfish; whitespotted surgeonfish; ringtail surgeonfish; Achilles tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus leucocheilus; Acanthurus guttatus; Acanthurus blochii; Acanthurus achilles,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. six-blotch hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis sexmaculata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. starfish

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 24, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. shark

Example: Photo by c.lathe. July 6, 2008 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. whitespot soldierfish

Scientific name: Myripristis woodsi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. arc-eye hawkfish; black-sided hawkfish; whitespot hawkfish

Scientific name: Paracirrhites arcatus; Paracirrhites forsteri; Paracirrhites hemistictus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. school of tuna

Example: School of Tuna. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters. Flickr. via Flickr

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fusilier species

Scientific name: Pterocaesio sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scalloped hammerhead; Great Hammerhead

Scientific name: Sphyrna lewini; Sphyrna mokorran,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. nurse shark

Scientific name: Nebrius concolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. humphead parrotfish

Scientific name: Bolbometopon muricatum

n. zebra or leopard shark

Scientific name: Stegastoma varium,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. crocodile

Example: Photo by PG Palmer October 16, 2004 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. lizardfish species

Scientific name: Synodus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. reef whitetip shark

Example: Let sleeping sharks lie by Barry Fackler via via Flickr

Scientific name: Triaenodon obesus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. nurse shark

Scientific name: Nebrius concolor

n. bait on fishing hook

n. sweeperfish and sea chub species

Scientific name: Kyphosus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blacksaddle grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus howlandi

n. group of fish

n. scorpionfish species

Example: Photo by Coby Bidwell August 1, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

n. sling jaw wrasse

Scientific name: Epibulus insidiator,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. gold-lined sea bream

Scientific name: Gnathodentex aurolineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sushi

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. trumpetfish and flutemouths

Scientific name: Aulostomus sp.; Fistularia sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue boxfish

Scientific name: Ostracion meleagris

n. ghost crab

Scientific name: Ocypodinae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. double lined mackerel

Scientific name: Grammatorcynos bilineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. kawakawa tuna or mackerel tuna

Scientific name: Euthynnus affinis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

flying fish

Scientific name: Cypselurus sp.,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish spine

n. non-spiny urchins

n. tufted spiny lobster

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library October 25, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Panulirus penicillatus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. white trevally

Scientific name: Pseudocaranx dentex,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mollusk sp.

Scientific name: Nerita picea,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. dogfish tuna

Scientific name: Gymnosarda unicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spiny urchin

Scientific name: Echinoidea sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich