Kapingamarangi English

n. bicolor cleaner wrasse

Scientific name: Labroides bicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shell without hermit crab

bottom fishing

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. bicolor parrotfish

Scientific name: Cetoscarus bicolor

n. yellowfin tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus xanthopterus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. streamlined spinefoot

Scientific name: Siganus argenteus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scallop

n. small clam

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. parrotfish species

Scientific name: Scarus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. brown marbled grouper

Scientific name: Epinephelus fuscoguttatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. long branching shell (long and pointy)

n. fish sp.: spiny puffer

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

school of surgeon fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. squid ink

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. 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

fish innards

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. Vlaming’s unicorn fish

Scientific name: Cyphomycter vlamingi,
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 that stands on its own

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. whale in general

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. blacktip reef shark

Scientific name: Carcharhinus melanopterus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. halfbeaks

Scientific name: Hemiramphus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. snail or slug in shell

n. painted sweetlips

Scientific name: Plectorhinchus picus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. giant trevally

Scientific name: Caranx ignobilis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. stocky hawkfish

Scientific name: Cirrhitus pinnulatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. yellowtail coris

Scientific name: Coris gaimard

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. lavender tang; chocolate surgeonfish

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

n. epaulette surgeonfish; orange shoulder tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigricauda; Acanthurus olicaceus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. wide-band fusilier

Scientific name: Pterocaesio lativittata,
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. 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. crowned squirrelfish; samurai squirrelfish; smallmouth squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron diadema; Sargocentron ittodai; Sargocentron microstoma,
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. goatfish species

Scientific name: Mullidae sp.

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. 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. longnosed emperor

Scientific name: Lethrinus olivaceus,
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. speckled blue grouper; greasy grouper

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

n. squid

Example: Photo by kuribo April 6, 2012 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squid and cuttlefish

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. sabre squirrelfish; blue-lined squirrelfish

Scientific name: Sargocentron spiniferum; Sargocentron tiere,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sammara squirrelfish

Scientific name: Neoniphon sammara,
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. mangrove red snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus argentimaculatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. black-banded snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus semicinctus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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. kawakawa tuna or mackerel tuna

Scientific name: Euthynnus affinis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

flying fish

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

n. map puffer; starry puffer

Scientific name: Arothron mappa; Arothron stellatus,
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. whale in general

n. red-breasted wrasse

Scientific name: Cheilinus fasciatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. non-spiny urchins

n. surge wrasse; christmas wrasse

Scientific name: Thalassoma purpureum; Thalassoma trilobatum,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. squaretail coral grouper

Scientific name: Plectropomus areolatus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. pacific longnose parrotfish

Scientific name: Hipposcarus longiceps,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. white trevally

Scientific name: Pseudocaranx dentex,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. scale of a fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. dogfish tuna

Scientific name: Gymnosarda unicolor,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spiny urchin

Scientific name: Echinoidea sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich