Kapingamarangi English

n. hound needlefish

Scientific name: Tylosurus crocodilus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

n. bluefin trevally

Scientific name: Caranx melampygus,
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

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. flatfish (flounder, halibut, etc)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. yellowfin tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus xanthopterus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. streamlined spinefoot

Scientific name: Siganus argenteus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
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. 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. fish sp.: spiny puffer

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

inky secretion of squid

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. squid ink

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

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.,
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. bluespine unicornfish; whitemargin unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso unicornis; Naso annulatus,
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. rainbow runner

Scientific name: Elagatis bipinnulatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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,

fish name (used only in compounds)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. dolphin in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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

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

n. giant guitarfish

Scientific name: Rhynchobatus djiddensis

n. whale in general

n. whale in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

n. picasso triggerfish; orange striped triggerfish

Scientific name: Rhinecanthus aculeatus; Balistapus undulatus

n. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro

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. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

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

n. sleek unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso Hexacanthus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. wrasse species

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spotted firmfin

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

n. surgeonfish species

Scientific name: Acanthurus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. brown tang; lined surgeonfish

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

n. lavender tang; chocolate surgeonfish

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus; Acanthurus pyroferus,
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. 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. whitespot soldierfish

Scientific name: Myripristis woodsi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. convict tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus

n. nurse shark

Scientific name: Nebrius concolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. zebra or leopard shark

Scientific name: Stegastoma varium,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. crocodile

Example: Photo by PG Palmer October 16, 2004 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

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. 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. cuttlefish

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. gold-lined sea bream

Scientific name: Gnathodentex aurolineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackspot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus ehrenbergi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. trumpetfish and flutemouths

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

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. black jack

Scientific name: Caranx lugubris,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. black-banded snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus semicinctus,
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. branching coral that itches

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. whale in general

n. red-breasted wrasse

Scientific name: Cheilinus fasciatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. saddleback coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus laevis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squaretail coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus areolatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. white trevally

Scientific name: Pseudocaranx dentex,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. Triton’s trumpet

Scientific name: Charonia tritonis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spider conch

Scientific name: Lambis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich