Kapingamarangi English

n. dussumieri tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus dussumieri,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. keeltail needlefish

Scientific name: Platybelone platyura,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

bottom fishing

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

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. flatfish (flounder, halibut, etc)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. yellowfin tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus xanthopterus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

n. mollusk sp.

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

vi. octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. rabbitfish species

Scientific name: Siganus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish sp.; eel variety

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. brown marbled grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus fuscoguttatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

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. gill of a fish

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. 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. 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

n. midnight snapper; black and white snapper

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

school of red snapper

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

school of sea bass

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish name (used only in compounds)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. giant guitarfish

Scientific name: Rhynchobatus djiddensis

n. whale in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. appendage; fin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

n. sharksucker remora species

Scientific name: Echeneidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blacktip reef shark

Scientific name: Carcharhinus melanopterus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bullet parrotfish

Scientific name: Chlorurus sordidus

n. orangespine unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso lituratus

n. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro

n. greater amberjack

Scientific name: Seriola dumerili,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. eel species (many species)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. banded snake eel

Scientific name: Myrichthys colubrinus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. two-striped sweetlips; silver-banded sweetlips; oriental sweetlips

Scientific name: Plectorhinchus albovittatus; Plectorhinchus gaterinoides; Plectorhinchus vittatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.

n. sleek unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso Hexacanthus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. 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. wide-band fusilier

Scientific name: Pterocaesio lativittata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. six-blotch hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis sexmaculata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus leopardus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spinecheek species

Scientific name: Scolopsis sp.,
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

Scientific name: Asteroidea sp.,
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. scalloped hammerhead; Great Hammerhead

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

n. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

n. humphead parrotfish

Scientific name: Bolbometopon muricatum

n. lizardfish species

Scientific name: Synodus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus,
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. 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. group of fish

n. sling jaw wrasse

Scientific name: Epibulus insidiator,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. barracuda in general, Great Barracuda

Scientific name: Sphyraena barracuda,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackspot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus ehrenbergi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackfin barracuda

Scientific name: Sphyraena qenie,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. yellowfin tuna

Scientific name: Thunnus albacares,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue boxfish

Scientific name: Ostracion meleagris

n. black-banded snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus semicinctus,
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. kawakawa tuna or mackerel tuna

Scientific name: Euthynnus affinis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. map puffer; starry puffer

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

n. fish spine

n. branching coral that itches

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. whale in general

n. shell without hermit crab

n. saddleback coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus laevis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. non-spiny urchins

n. squaretail coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus areolatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue and gold fusilier

Scientific name: Caesio caerulaurea,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mollusk sp.

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

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. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spider conch

Scientific name: Lambis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich