| Fish Number |
Tobian Name | Audio By |
English Name | Latin Name (from Johannes) |
R.E. Johannes Tobian Fish Dictionary Annotations | Image | Listed on Fish Chart |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0001 | Paho (Johannes) |
Marcus | Shark | Squaliformes | Paho is the general term for sharks and means "smelling of excrement" referring to the strong smell of many shark species. | yes | Marcus says this word should be pahou. Sebas thinks it should be spelled pohowo. Justin agrees with Sebas on this—pohowo seems right to him. | |
| F0002 | Paho raur horfat (Johannes) | Marcus | Shark | Squaliformes | An unidentified species of shark. | |||
| F0003 | Matar (Johannes) | Marcus | Requiem sharks: black-tip shark | Squaliformes: carcharhinidae: carcharhinus melanopterus |
Quoy Gaimard | Image | yes | |
| F0004 | Echarivus (Johannes) |
Marcus | Requiem sharks: white-tip shark |
Squaliformes: carcharhinidae: triaenodon obesus | Echarivus comes from words meaning "always bites stone" and refers to the tendency of the ocean white tip to bite at the stone weights used by dropline fishermen outside the reef. | Image | ||
| F0005 | Echabor (Johannes) | Marcus | Requiem sharks: ocean-black-tip | Squaliformes: carcharhinidae: carcharhinus limbatus | Valenciennes | Image | ||
| F0006 | Sauop (Johannes) | Marcus | Hammerhead sharks | Shyraendidae: Sphyma sp. | Image | |||
| F0007 | Sabacho (Johannes) |
Marcus | Nurse sharks and carpet sharks | Orectolobidae: | Sabacho comes from words meaning sleep and awkward, referring to the ungainly swimming motion of this shark and to its habit of resting motionless on the bottom. Sabacho probably Stegostoma tigrinum Bonnaterre, Leopard shark. | Image | FOTI believes this may be the Zebra shark (see image) since Stegostoma is the family name and the common name is either zebra or leopard shark. | |
| F0008 | Fai (Johannes)
|
Marcus | Rays | Rajiformes | Fai, meaning flat, is the general name for rays. Rajiformes is the order for skates and rays. |
Image | This image is a roughtail stingray |
|
| F0009 | Fayhiyab (Johannes) | Marcus | Rays: Eagle Rays: Spotted Eagle Rays | Rajiformes: Myliobatidae: Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen) | Fayhiyab means flat, concave and is probably Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen) | Image | ||
| F0010 | Rabut (Johannes) | Marcus | Eels | Anguilliformes | Rabut is the general name for all eels and also sea snakes. | Image | This image is a guess by FOTI to illustrate Rabut. | |
| F0011 | Rabut tuchor (Johannes) | Marcus | Black eels | Anguilliformes | Predominantly black eels are called Rabut tuchor. | Image | This image (Anguilla australis australis, shortfin eel) is a guess by FOTI to illustrate Rabut tuchor. | |
| F0012 | Rabut bech (Johannes) | Marcus | White eels | Anguilliformes | Predominantly white eels are called Rabut bech. | Image | This image (Anguilla australis schmidti) is a guess by FOTI to illustrate Rabut bech. | |
| F0013 | Rabut sangi (Johannes) |
Marcus | Mixed colored eels | Anguilliformes | Eels of mottled or mixed colors are called Rabut sangi. | Image | This image (Anguilla marmorata, giant mottled eel) is a guess by FOTI to illustrate Rabut sangi. | |
| F0014 | Reemangengae (Johannes) |
Marcus | Snake eels | Ophichthidae | Reemangengae comes from words meaning black, crooked, and stripes. Reemangengae is probably Myrichthys colubrinus (Boddaert), Harlequin snake eel. |
Image | FOTI hopes this is an image of Reemangengaebut could be wrong. | |
| F0015 | Tirihan (Johannes) |
Marcus | Herrings | Clupeidae | Tirihan (meaning small bait fish) is a small schooling fish that periodically appears outside the reef at Tobi. Judging from its description, it is a herring with rather large scales. | Image | yes | This image of Clupeidae is a guess by FOTI to illustrate Tirihan. |
| F0016 | Yengap (Johannes) |
Marcus | Anchovies | Engraulidae | Yengab (or Hangap) is the family name for anchovies. | Image | yes | This image of a Pacific anchovy is a guess by FOTI to illustrate Yengap. |
| F0017 | Siyefahchairen (Johannes) |
Justin | Lizard fish | Synodontidae. Synodus spp. |
Image | |||
| F0018 | Usurifarfma (Johannes) | Marcus | Frog fish | Antennariidae | Usurifarfma comes from words meaning slow and drifting log and refers to a species of frogfish found associated with drifting logs in the open ocean. | Image | Marcus spelled this: usurifari ma. | |
| F0019 | Yauh (Johannes) |
Marcus | Mullet | Muglidae | Yauh is the general name for mullets. | Image | Johannes spelled this Yaoh but Yauh is more common. Image of a common mullet. | |
| F0020 | Yauh Her (Johannes) | Marcus | Mullet:Fringelip | Muglidae: Crenimugilis crenilabis (Forskal) | Johannes notes this is a probable identification. | Image | ||
| F0021 | Pouchor Yauh (Johannes) | Marcus | Mullet: ? | Muglidae: ? | Unidentified mullet. | yes | Fish Chart: Yaugh er poucham (yauh) | |
| F0022 | Tirimee (Johannes) | Marcus | Mullet: ? | Muglidae: ? | Unidentified mullet. | |||
| F0023 | Yauh Siyabo (Johannes) | Marcus | Mullet: ? | Muglidae: ? | Unidentified mullet. | yes | Fish Chart: Yaugh er Siabo (yauh) | |
| F0024 | Bauh (Johannes) |
Marcus | Barracuda | Shyraenidae: barracude (Walbaum) | Bauh (baoh) refers to barracudas in general as well as being applied specifically to the largest species. The word means bad smell. | Image | yes | Johannes spelled this baoh. |
| F0025 | Bauh: suhowo (Johannes) |
Marcus | Barracuda: smaller unidentified species | Shyraenidae: | Suhowo and merifuts both mean dangerous, according to Johannes. | yes | Probably the same as Baugh: Sahau on Fish Chart. | |
| F0026 | Bauh: merifuts (Johannes) |
Marcus | Barracuda: smaller unidentified species | Shyraenidae: | Suhowo and merifuts both mean dangerous, according to Johannes. | yes | Probably the same as Baugh: Marufach on Fish Chart. | |
| F0027 | Mangah (Johannes) | Marcus | Flying fishes | Exoetidae | Mangah means food and refers to any flying fish more than about 6 inches long. | yes | Note that there are two mangahs: one the flying fish and one not. |
|
| F0028 | Pouchor Mangah (Johannes)
|
Marcus | Flying fish:Cosmopolitan flying fish | Exocoetus volitans Linnaeus | Pouchor means dark hand and refers to the dark pectoral fins of this fish. | Image* | Pouchor the flying fish is distinguished from Pouchor Yauh, the mullet, by adding the general term for flying fish, mangah, when context doesn't make it clear. | |
| F0029 | Hon (Johannes) |
Marcus | Flying fish: a small unidentified species | Exoetidae:? | Hon means fish food and refers to this species used as bait. | yes | ||
| F0030 | Pauchacha (Johannes) |
Marcus | Flying fish: pug-nosed flying fish | Prognichthys gibbifrons (Valenciennes) | Image* | A probable identification. | ||
| F0031 | Paumeheng (Johannes) |
Marcus | Flying fish:spotted flying fish and greater spotted flying fish | Cypsellurus Poecilopterus (Valenciennes) and Cypsellurus atrisignis Jenkins | Meheng means mixed together and refers to two species with spotted pectoral fins that are known as distinct but difficult to differentiate. | Image* Image** |
||
| F0032 | Fra: Tewari Pasuohung (Johannes) | Marcus | Halfbeak: ? | Hemirhamphidae | Tewari pasuohung means good eaing, loosely. | Family name: Fra. Justin never heard this word. | ||
| F0033 | Fra: Mari Pasuohung (Johannes) | Marcus | Halfbeak: black tipped garfish | Hemirhamphidae: Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Ranzani) | Image | Family name: Fra. Justin never heard this word. | ||
| F0034 | Mahi: Mahirobut (Johannes) | MarcusMarcus |
Needlefish: | Belonidae | Mahi means necklace—needlefish are often strung like beads when caught instead of being piled in a basket like other fish. Mahirobut refers to any species found on the reef in shallow water and comes from words meaning necklace and outside. | yes | Mahirobut is the most important species caught outside the reef using the famous breadfruit kite and spider web lure. See Day Fishing Method 23: Hachaiho. |
|
| F0034a | Mahi: Hofireiha (Black) |
Needlefish: | Baby Mahi. | yes | ||||
| F0035 | Mahi: Maharimataw (Johannes) Mahi toh (Black) |
Marcus | Needlefish: keel-jawed | Belonidae: Thalassosteus appendiculatus (Klunzinger) | Johannes notes this is a probable identification. | yes | Mahi toh and Maharimataw are probably the same fish. | |
| F0036 | Mor (Johannes) | Marcus |
Squirrelfish: | Holocentridae: | The general name for squirrelfish, mor (loosely translated) means in mourning—referring to mor's habit of hiding during the day. | Image | yes | |
| F0037 | Mor:Ngusngus (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish: ? | Holocentridae: | Johannes notes this is an unidentified species; the name is onomatopoetic and describes the sound the fish makes when disturbed. | |||
| F0038 | Mor:Huhuvahata (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish:? | Holocentridae: Holocentrus sp. |
Johannes notes this fish is called hu when small. | |||
| F0039 | Mor:Tatahbur (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish:? | Holocentridae: | Johannes notes this is an unidentified species with two or three dark vertical bands. Tatahbur means like a belt. | yes | Black gives this as tatah bur. | |
| F0040 | Mor:Saha (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish:spiny squirrelfish | Holocentridae: spinifer (Forskal) | Image | yes | Image used with permission of John E. Randall, FishBase Collaborator. | |
| F0041 | Mor:Yetoh (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish:black- finned squirrelfish |
Holocentridae: Holocentrus operculare (Valenciennes) |
yes | |||
| F0042 | Mor:Yarifera (Johannes) |
Marcus | Squirrelfish:blood- spotted squirrelfish |
Holocentridae: Holocentrus sammara (Forskal) |
Johannes notes this is a probable identification. | |||
| F0043 | Mor:Chimesogi (Johannes) |
Marcus | Squirrelfish: | Holocentridae: Holocentrus sp. |
yes | Marcus believes this is chimoso. Black has it as chimosou. | ||
| F0044 | Mor:Marutacham (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish: | Holocentridae: Myripristis sp. | ||||
| F0045 | Mor:Martamiich (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish: | Holocentridae: Myripristis sp. | yes | Marcus has it as mortamuch. Black has it as martamuch. | ||
| F0046 | Mor:Red (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish: | Holocentridae: Myripristis sp. | yes | Black has this as ret. | ||
| F0047 | Mor:Tapekang (Johannes) | Marcus | Squirrelfish: | Holocentridae: Myripristis sp. | ||||
| F0048 | Ripapa (Johannes) | Justin | Cornetfish: | Fistularidae: Fistularia sp. | Ripapa means mimic and reportedly refers to the similarity of ripapa and needlefish. | |||
| F0049 | Pohijarifos (Johannes) | Justin | Pipefish/ Seahorses |
Pohijarifos is the general name for both pipefish and seahorses. | See pohoya cherifos; Isauro thought this could be another word for seahorse. | |||
| F0050 | Warugar Rariworong (Johannes) |
Justin Justin |
Scorpionfish: Lionfish |
Scorpaenidae: Pterois |
Warugar (lionfish) is the name of a type of woven decorated woman's skirt and refers to the colorful elongate fin spines of the lionfish. Rariworong, another name for lionfish, is the name of a tree from which medicine is made to treat lionfish stings. | See entry at Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History | ||
| F0051 | Reyu (Johannes) |
Justin | Reef stonefish | Scorpaenidae: Synanceia verrucosa |
Stonefish and a variety of related fish are called reyu, meaning lazy, referring to the sedentary habits of these species. | Image** | See entry at Cook Islands Biodiversity website. | |
| F0052 | Siyavapaho (Johannes) | Justin | Flathead | Platycephalidae: |
Johannes notes that siyavapaho means "big long mouth like a shark." | Image | See Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. | |
| F0053 | Tobian not determined (Johannes) | Flying Gurnard | Dactylopteridae | Johannes notes that Tobians recognize images of a flying gurnard but could not recall its Tobian name. | Image** | See entry at Cook Islands Biodiversity website. | ||
| F0054 | Hauborap (Johannes) | Justin | Cardinalfish | Apogonidae: | Hauborap means "no [particular] hook" referring to the ease of catching these small fish on any type of hook. | |||
| F0055 | Bwurra (Johannes) |
Justin | Grouper: | Serranidae: | Bwurra or Bwere (as Black has it) refers to a group of predominantly red serranids among the fish often caught using Day Fishing Method 19: Bwere. | yes | See also Day Fishing Method 20: Fasuwoh Re Bwere. | |
| F0056 | Hari (Johannes) |
Grouper: | Serranidae: | Johannes notes that hari means, loosely, takes any bait and refers to a group of multi-colored serranids (including bwurra). | ||||
