Kapingamarangi English

n. shell without hermit crab

bottom fishing

n. oysters

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. bicolor parrotfish

Scientific name: Cetoscarus bicolor

n. black-spot tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus bariene,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mollusk sp.

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

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. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. snail shell used for a horn

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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,

n. moorish idol

Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus

n. fish sp.: spiny puffer

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. branching coral

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

tentacles of an octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. bluespine unicornfish; whitemargin unicornfish

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

n. clam with channels in shell

n. midnight snapper; black and white snapper

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

n. school of fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

school of red snapper

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish name (used only in compounds)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. dolphin in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue marlin

Scientific name: Makaira nigricans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi

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. flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. shark

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

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blacktip reef shark

Scientific name: Carcharhinus melanopterus,
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. tail, turtle tail

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

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. cooked fish

n. sponge

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. olive-scribbled wrasse

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

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

n. yellowtail coris

Scientific name: Coris gaimard

n. surgeonfish species

Scientific name: Acanthurus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue-spotted bristletooth

Scientific name: Ctenochaetus marginatus,
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. 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. wahoo

Scientific name: Acanthocybium solandri,
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. 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. nurse shark

Scientific name: Nebrius concolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. humphead parrotfish

Scientific name: Bolbometopon muricatum

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. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. grouper species

Scientific name: Epinephelus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. speckled blue grouper; greasy grouper

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

n. cuttlefish

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squid and cuttlefish

n. sling jaw wrasse

Scientific name: Epibulus insidiator,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. gold-lined sea bream

Scientific name: Gnathodentex aurolineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackfin barracuda

Scientific name: Sphyraena qenie,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. trumpetfish and flutemouths

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

n. two spot red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus bohar,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. yellowfin tuna

Scientific name: Thunnus albacares,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue boxfish

Scientific name: Ostracion meleagris

n. black jack

Scientific name: Caranx lugubris,
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

n. double lined mackerel

Scientific name: Grammatorcynos bilineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

flying fish

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

n. fish spine

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

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

n. branching coral that itches

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. whale in general

n. green jobfish, also known as slender snapper

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

n. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scale of a fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. scutes of a turtle

n. Triton’s trumpet

Scientific name: Charonia tritonis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

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,