Kapingamarangi English

n. dussumieri tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus dussumieri,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bicolor cleaner wrasse

Scientific name: Labroides bicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluefin trevally

Scientific name: Caranx melampygus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. skipjack tuna

Scientific name: Katsuwonus pelamis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. large clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. streamlined spinefoot

Scientific name: Siganus argenteus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scallop

n. small clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. rabbitfish species

Scientific name: Siganus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish sp.; eel variety

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

angelfish species

Scientific name: Pomacanthidae sp.

n. whale

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

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. 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. spadefish and batfish species

Scientific name: Chaetodipterus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

tentacles of an octopus

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. bignose unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso vlamingii,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sailfin tang

Scientific name: Zebrasoma veliferum,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. clam with channels in shell

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. 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. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
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. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. fish fin

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. 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. triggerfish or filefish in general

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. coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro

n. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. snail or slug in shell

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. banded snake eel

Scientific name: Myrichthys colubrinus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. octopus ink

n. painted sweetlips

Scientific name: Plectorhinchus picus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. 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. 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. coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus leopardus,
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. shark

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. crowned squirrelfish; samurai squirrelfish; smallmouth squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron diadema; Sargocentron ittodai; Sargocentron microstoma,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. convict tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus

n. school of tuna

Example: School of Tuna. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters. Flickr. via Flickr

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. speckled blue grouper; greasy grouper

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

n. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus

n. cuttlefish

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squid and cuttlefish

n. sling jaw wrasse

Scientific name: Epibulus insidiator,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blackspot snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus ehrenbergi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sammara squirrelfish

Scientific name: Neoniphon sammara,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

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. double lined mackerel

Scientific name: Grammatorcynos bilineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. red-breasted wrasse

Scientific name: Cheilinus fasciatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flame tail snapper

Scientific name: Etelis coruscans

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. white trevally

Scientific name: Pseudocaranx dentex,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. hermit crab

n. Triton’s trumpet

Scientific name: Charonia tritonis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. dogfish tuna

Scientific name: Gymnosarda unicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spiny urchin

Scientific name: Echinoidea sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich