Kapingamarangi English

n. keeltail needlefish

Scientific name: Platybelone platyura,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

n. large clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bicolor parrotfish

Scientific name: Cetoscarus bicolor

n. streamlined spinefoot

Scientific name: Siganus argenteus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scallop

n. mollusk sp.

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

n. small clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. octopi in general

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. eel variety

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

n. snail shell used for a horn

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. long branching shell (long and pointy)

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. 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. moorish idol

Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus

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,

n. octopus ink

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

inky secretion of squid

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. rippled triggerfish; yellowmargin triggerfish; titan triggerfish

Example: Pseudobalistes fuscus; Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus; Balistoides viridescens

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. spadefish and batfish species

Scientific name: Chaetodipterus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

tentacles of an octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish innards

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. bignose unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso vlamingii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. Vlaming’s unicorn fish

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

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. fish

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

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

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi

n. eel

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. appendage; fin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

n. bullet parrotfish

Scientific name: Chlorurus sordidus

n. orangespine unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso lituratus

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. 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. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sponge

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. painted sweetlips

Scientific name: Plectorhinchus picus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. wrasse species

n. spotted firmfin

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

n. stocky hawkfish

Scientific name: Cirrhitus pinnulatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. surgeonfish species

Scientific name: Acanthurus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. lavender tang; chocolate surgeonfish

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus; Acanthurus pyroferus,
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. short jawed bonefish

Scientific name: Albula glossodonta,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. small-toothed jobfish

Scientific name: Aphareus furca

n. common silver-biddy

Scientific name: Gerres argyreus,
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. wahoo

Scientific name: Acanthocybium solandri,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. convict tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus

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. 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. blacksaddle grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus howlandi

n. cuttlefish

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. sushi

n. dark-striped squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron praslin

n. sammara squirrelfish

Scientific name: Neoniphon sammara,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackfin barracuda

Scientific name: Sphyraena qenie,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. yellowfin tuna

Scientific name: Thunnus albacares,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shrimp

n. one spot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus monostigma,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. two spot red snapper; blacktail snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus bohar; Lutjanus fulvus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. ghost crab

Scientific name: Ocypodinae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus leopardus

n. branching coral

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

flying fish

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

n. shell without hermit crab

n. surge wrasse; christmas wrasse

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

n. green jobfish, also known as slender snapper

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

n. pacific longnose parrotfish

Scientific name: Hipposcarus longiceps,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue and gold fusilier

Scientific name: Caesio caerulaurea,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scutes of a turtle

n. mollusk sp.

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

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

n. coconut crab

Example: Photo by Drew Avery February 18, 2007 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Birgus latro,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. dogfish tuna

Scientific name: Gymnosarda unicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich