Kapingamarangi English

n. keeltail needlefish

Scientific name: Platybelone platyura,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

bottom fishing

n. skipjack tuna

Scientific name: Katsuwonus pelamis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. oysters

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. streamlined spinefoot

Scientific name: Siganus argenteus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. 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. long branching shell (long and pointy)

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

school of surgeon fish

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. 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. 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

fish innards

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. bluespine unicornfish; whitemargin unicornfish

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

n. clam that stands on its own

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. school of fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. dolphin in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue marlin

Scientific name: Makaira nigricans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. giant guitarfish

Scientific name: Rhynchobatus djiddensis

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi

n. spotted eagle ray

Scientific name: Aetobatis narinari,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. 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. greater amberjack

Scientific name: Seriola dumerili,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. cane toad

Scientific name: Rhinella marina,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. snail or slug in shell

n. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. eel species (many species)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. banded snake eel

Scientific name: Myrichthys colubrinus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. octopus ink

n. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.

n. olive-scribbled wrasse

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sleek unicornfish

Scientific name: Naso Hexacanthus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spotted firmfin

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

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. brown tang; lined surgeonfish

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

n. epaulette surgeonfish; orange shoulder tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigricauda; Acanthurus olicaceus,
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. mimic octopus and similar species

Scientific name: Thaumoctopus mimicus

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. 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. school of tuna

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

n. zebra or leopard shark

Scientific name: Stegastoma varium,
Speaker: Howartson 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. bait on fishing hook

n. grouper species

Scientific name: Epinephelus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blacksaddle grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus howlandi

n. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus

n. group of fish

n. sushi

n. dark-striped squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron praslin

n. bluegill longfin

Scientific name: Plesiops corallicola,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

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. branching coral

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. double lined mackerel

Scientific name: Grammatorcynos bilineatus,
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. kawakawa tuna or mackerel tuna

Scientific name: Euthynnus affinis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. fish spine

n. branching coral that itches

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flame tail snapper

Scientific name: Etelis coruscans

n. shell without hermit crab

n. non-spiny urchins

n. clawed lobster species

Scientific name: Nephropidae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. white trevally

Scientific name: Pseudocaranx dentex,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scutes of a turtle

n. mollusk sp.

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

n. spider conch

Scientific name: Lambis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich