Kapingamarangi English

n. hound needlefish

Scientific name: Tylosurus crocodilus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. keeltail needlefish

Scientific name: Platybelone platyura,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

bottom fishing

n. skipjack tuna

Scientific name: Katsuwonus pelamis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. large clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. white-edged lyretail; yellow-edged lyretail

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

vi. octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
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. red snapper

Example: Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Center April 3, 2012 via Flickr License: CC BY-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Lutjanus vaigiensis,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. whale

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

school of surgeon fish

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. bigeye trevally

Scientific name: Caranx sexfasciatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

n. sea cucumber

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 6, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. term for school of goat fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. branching coral

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

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. Hawksbill sea turtle

Scientific name: Eretmochelys imbricata,
Speaker: Lieber, Michael D. and Kalio H. Dikepa. 1974.

n. turtle

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

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bignose unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso vlamingii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. zebra striped sturgeon fish

Example: Photo by Cliff July 20, 2008 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Zebrasoma veliferum,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. clam that stands on its own

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. rainbow runner

Scientific name: Elagatis bipinnulatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. clam with channels in shell

n. six-banded wrasse

Scientific name: Thalassoma hardwickii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. midnight snapper; black and white snapper

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

school of sea bass

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish name (used only in compounds)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. stingray in general. round ribbontail ray; blue spotted ray

Scientific name: Taeniura melanospilos; Dasyatis kuhlii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. whale in general

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi

n. appendage; fin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

n. sharksucker remora species

Scientific name: Echeneidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. tail of a fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. picasso triggerfish; orange striped triggerfish

Scientific name: Rhinecanthus aculeatus; Balistapus undulatus

n. whitespotted filefish; honeycomb filefish

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

n. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro

n. greater amberjack

Scientific name: Seriola dumerili,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. cooked fish

n. cane toad

Scientific name: Rhinella marina,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. eel species (many species)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. wrasse species

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue-spotted bristletooth

Scientific name: Ctenochaetus marginatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. epaulette surgeonfish; orange shoulder tang

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

n. peacock grouper; brown-banded seabass; coral hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis argus; Cephalopholis boenak; Cephalopholis miniata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. six-blotch hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis sexmaculata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. short jawed bonefish

Scientific name: Albula glossodonta,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mimic octopus and similar species

Scientific name: Thaumoctopus mimicus

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. 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. speckled squirrelfish; violet squirrelfish; silverspot squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron punctatissimum; Sargocentron violaceum; Sargocentron caudimaculatum,
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. humphead wrasse

Scientific name: Cheilinus undulates

n. lizardfish species

Scientific name: Synodus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. nurse shark

Scientific name: Nebrius concolor

n. bait on fishing hook

n. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sweeperfish and sea chub species

Scientific name: Kyphosus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. grouper species

Scientific name: Epinephelus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus

n. squid

Example: Photo by kuribo April 6, 2012 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squid and cuttlefish

n. group of fish

n. sushi

n. sabre squirrelfish; blue-lined squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron spiniferum; Sargocentron tiere,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackspot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus ehrenbergi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. humpback red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus gibbus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. tuna

n. mangrove red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus argentimaculatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. one spot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus monostigma,
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.

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. map puffer; starry puffer

Scientific name: Arothron mappa; Arothron stellatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish spine

n. saddleback coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus laevis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. surge wrasse; christmas wrasse

Scientific name: Thalassoma purpureum; Thalassoma trilobatum,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squaretail coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus areolatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. green jobfish, also known as slender snapper

Scientific name: Aprion virescens,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. white trevally

Scientific name: Pseudocaranx dentex,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scutes of a turtle

n. Triton’s trumpet

Scientific name: Charonia tritonis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spider conch

Scientific name: Lambis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. puffer and toby species

Scientific name: Canthigaster sp.; Arothron sp.,
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