Kapingamarangi English

n. bicolor cleaner wrasse

Scientific name: Labroides bicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

bottom fishing

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. 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. mollusk sp.

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

n. small clam

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vi. octopus

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

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. fish sp.; eel variety

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noun shell

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library October 25, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

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. moorish idol

Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus

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. term for school of goat fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

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

fish innards

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

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. sailfin tang

Scientific name: Zebrasoma veliferum,
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

fish name (used only in compounds)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. blue marlin

Scientific name: Makaira nigricans,
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. 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. 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. bullet parrotfish

Scientific name: Chlorurus sordidus

n. orangespine unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso lituratus

n. whitespotted filefish; honeycomb filefish

Scientific name: Cantherhines dumerilii; Cantherhines pardalis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. cooked fish

n. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. cane toad

Scientific name: Rhinella marina,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. snail or slug in shell

n. eel species (many species)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. octopus ink

n. olive-scribbled wrasse

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. wrasse species

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. stocky hawkfish

Scientific name: Cirrhitus pinnulatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue-spotted bristletooth

Scientific name: Ctenochaetus marginatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. lavender tang; chocolate surgeonfish

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus; Acanthurus pyroferus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. wide-band fusilier

Scientific name: Pterocaesio lativittata,
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. coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus leopardus,
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. whitespot soldierfish

Scientific name: Myripristis woodsi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. crocodile

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

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. bait on fishing hook

n. blacksaddle grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus howlandi

n. speckled blue grouper; greasy grouper

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

n. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus

n. group of fish

n. scorpionfish species

Example: Photo by Coby Bidwell August 1, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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. sammara squirrelfish

Scientific name: Neoniphon sammara,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

n. two spot red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus bohar,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. humpback red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus gibbus,
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. tuna

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. double lined mackerel

Scientific name: Grammatorcynos bilineatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish spine

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. tufted spiny lobster

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library October 25, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Panulirus penicillatus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. hermit crab

n. Triton’s trumpet

Scientific name: Charonia tritonis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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