Kapingamarangi English

n. hound needlefish

Scientific name: Tylosurus crocodilus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

bottom fishing

n. large clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. white-edged lyretail; yellow-edged lyretail

Scientific name: Aetobatus narinari; Variola louti,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mollusk

Example: Photo by Peter Eimon April 14, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Scientific name: Tridachna maxima,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. bicolor parrotfish

Scientific name: Cetoscarus bicolor

n. yellowfin tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus xanthopterus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

n. small clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. rabbitfish species

Scientific name: Siganus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. rabbitfish

Example: Photo by Jan Messersmith November 29, 2006 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Siganus puellus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish sp.; eel variety

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. brown marbled grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus fuscoguttatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. long branching shell (long and pointy)

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. whale

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. term for school of goat fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

tentacles of an octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. ghost crab

Example: Photo by beautifulcataya May 1, 2005 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Ocypodinae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. ghost crab

Example: Photo by beautifulcataya May 1, 2005 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Ocypodinae sp.,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. bridled triggerfish; scribbled or scrawled triggerfish

Scientific name: Sufflamen fraenatus; Alutera scriptus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bignose unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso vlamingii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. Vlaming’s unicorn fish

Scientific name: Cyphomycter vlamingi,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sailfin tang

Scientific name: Zebrasoma veliferum,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. clam that stands on its own

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. midnight snapper; black and white snapper

Scientific name: Macolor macularis; Macolor niger,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. whale in general

n. whale in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi

n. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. appendage; fin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

n. shark

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

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. green sea turtle

Example: Photo by prilfish July 20, 2011 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Chelonia mydas,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. tail of a fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. picasso triggerfish; orange striped triggerfish

Scientific name: Rhinecanthus aculeatus; Balistapus undulatus

n. undulate triggerfish

Example: Photo by zsispeo February 10, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Scientific name: Balistapus undulatus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. greater amberjack

Scientific name: Seriola dumerili,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. snail or slug in shell

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. eel species (many species)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. banded snake eel

Scientific name: Myrichthys colubrinus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

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

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. surgeonfish species

Scientific name: Acanthurus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue-spotted bristletooth

Scientific name: Ctenochaetus marginatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. brown tang; lined surgeonfish

Scientific name: Acanthurus lineatus; Acanthurus lineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. epaulette surgeonfish; orange shoulder tang

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

n. coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus leopardus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. short jawed bonefish

Scientific name: Albula glossodonta,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. common silver-biddy

Scientific name: Gerres argyreus,
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. dolphin

Example: Photo by manoellemos February 9, 2007 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. starfish

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

Scientific name: Asteroidea sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. crowned squirrelfish; samurai squirrelfish; smallmouth squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron diadema; Sargocentron ittodai; Sargocentron microstoma,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. whitespot soldierfish

Scientific name: Myripristis woodsi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

n. lizardfish species

Scientific name: Synodus sp.,
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. sea bass

Example: Photo by Malcomle Brown February 14, 2011 via Flickr License: CC BY-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Epinephelus fuscoguttatus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. speckled blue grouper; greasy grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus cyanopodus; Epinephelus tauvina,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sling jaw wrasse

Scientific name: Epibulus insidiator,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. gold-lined sea bream

Scientific name: Gnathodentex aurolineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackspot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus ehrenbergi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sammara squirrelfish

Scientific name: Neoniphon sammara,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

n. humpback red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus gibbus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sailfin snapper; bluestripe snapper

Scientific name: Symphorichthys spilurus; Lutjanus kasmira,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue boxfish

Scientific name: Ostracion meleagris

n. black jack

Scientific name: Caranx lugubris,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shrimp

n. mangrove red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus argentimaculatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. black-banded snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus semicinctus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. one spot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus monostigma,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. ghost crab

Scientific name: Ocypodinae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. double lined mackerel

Scientific name: Grammatorcynos bilineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. symbiotic bird/fish relationship where tuna chase small fish to the surface and birds descend and eat them from the air. good for fishing.

flying fish

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

n. spot-fin porcupinefish; sharpnose puffer; black blotched porcupinefish

Scientific name: Diodon hystrix; Canthigaster valentini; Diodon liturosus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. whale in general

n. shell without hermit crab

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. scutes of a turtle

n. Triton’s trumpet

Scientific name: Charonia tritonis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spider conch

Scientific name: Lambis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. dogfish tuna

Scientific name: Gymnosarda unicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sea urchin

Example: Photo by Tim Sheerman-Chase October 3, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. spiny urchin

Scientific name: Echinoidea sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich