TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE  NAMES OF VARIOUS SEA CREATURES AND THEIR DESCRIPTIONS

Here below is a list of names of some Hawaiian sea creatures that are written down in a book of names of the Kamehameha Museum.

The director of the Museum wrote that if some of our oldsters can write down the names and descriptions of the fishes.

That director wrote that he will pay the cost of one year’s subscription to the newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, if he receives some fish names and a description of them, like if it is long, or striped, and so forth.

Here below is a list of names of some fishes sent in by Mrs. Mary Kawena Pukui and Mrs. Makalika Titcomb [Margaret Titcomb].

If someone can supply the names of various sea life and their descriptions, send that knowledge to Mary Kawena Pukui or to Margaret Titcomb, Bishop Museum, Kamehameha, Honolulu.

Some of these names were gathered at the Kamehameha Museum. Some of these are just names without any clear descriptions. Might a reader of our precious [newspaper] be able to tell us of their descriptions.

The first i’a in the list is A, and this is what is said about it, “a fish that nibbles at the hook.” This leaves out a detailed descriptions as to perhaps if it has a dark body, or a long mouth, or if it is good to eat.

We will be thrilled if some of our Hawaiians who know the i’a of the sea will describe them.

Here are the fish names.

Aloha nui loa

Mary Kawena Pukui

Margaret Titcomb

a
a’a
a’akimakau
a’alaihau
a’alaihi
a’awa; a’awa lelo; a’awa uleholu
aeae
aeaea
aha
aha-aha
ahi
aholehole
aholele
ahu
ahu-a
ahua
ahuluhulu
ahuula

[This no doubt was the beginnings of Margaret Titcomb’s publication, “Native Use of Fish in Hawaii.”]

(Hoku o Hawaii, 5/29/1940, p. 1)

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 5, Aoao 1. Mei 29, 1940.