Ka i‘a lamalama i ka pali.
The fish caught by torching along the seacoast.

Lamalama or torching at night was the method often used to catch the ‘a‘ama crab.

He kai ‘alamihi ko Leleiwi.
A sea for black crabs has Leleiwi.

Leleiwi Point in Hilo is known to be a good place to find
the ‘alamihi crab.

Ho‘i i Kālia i ka ‘ai ‘alamihi.
Gone to Kālia to eat ‘alamihi crabs.

Kālia, O‘ahu is a place where ‘alamihi crabs were once plentiful. ‘Ala-mihi also means “path of repentance”; refers to someone who is in a repentant mood.

Ka i‘a mana nui.
The fish of many divided parts.

The octopus with its eight tentacles.

Ka i‘a pipili i ka lima.
The fish that sticks to the hand.

The octopus has suction cups on its tentacles.

Ka i‘a wale nui o ke Ko‘olau.
The slimy fish of the windward side of O‘ahu.

The he‘e is a very slimy creature which needs to be pounded and salted in preparation for eating.

Pua ke kō, ku ka he‘e.
When the sugar cane tassels, it is octopus season.

Late October, early November is when the sugar cane tassels.

Ka i‘a kīnohinohi pōhaku.
The fish that adorn the rocks.

These shellfish are found in shallow water and tidepools clinging to the rocks.

Ka i‘a hāwanawana i ka wāwae, a ‘ōlelo i ka lau o ka lima.
The fish that whispers to the feet and speaks to the tips of the fingers.

Found in the sand, the mahamoe is felt by the feet and picked up by the hands.

Ka i‘a hā‘awe i ka pa‘akai.
The fish that carries salt on its back.

The ‘opae kolo, mountain shrimp is a very hearty shrimp. There is a story about a stingy man who was unwilling to share his meal of shrimp with a hungry stranger. As the man loudly denied to the stranger any food available to eat, the shrimp with a lump of salt on its back (that the stingy man had caught earlier) climbed out of a container in the house.

Ka i‘a ho‘opumehana i ka weuweu.
The fish that warms the clumps of grass.

The ‘opae kolo or mountain shrimp, cling to the weeds and grasses along the banks of rivers and streams.

Ka i‘a i mā‘ona ai ka menehune.
The fish that satisfied the menehune.

‘Opae shrimp was a reward given to a group of menehune after they had helped to build a canoe.

E hāmau o makani mai auane‘i.
Hush, lest the wind arise.

Hold your silence or trouble will come to us. When the people went to gather pearl oysters at Pu‘uloa, they did so in silence, for they believed that if they spoke, a gust of wind would ripple the water and the oysters would vanish.

Haunāele ‘Ewa i ka Moa‘e.
‘Ewa is disturbed by the Moa‘e wind.

Used about something disturbing, like a violent agrument. When the people of ‘Ewa went to gather pipi (pearl oyster), they did so in silence, for if they spoke, a Moa‘e breeze would suddenly blow across the water, rippling it, and the oysters would disappear.

He wa‘a auane‘i ka ipu e pau ai na pipi me na ‘ōpae.
A gourd container is not a canoe to take all of the oysters and shrimps.

The container is not too large and cannot deplete the supply. A reply to one who views with suspicion another‘s food container, or who balks at sharing what he has.

Ka i‘a hāmau leo o ‘Ewa.
The fish of ‘ewa that silences the voice.

One needs to be quiet when gathering the pearl oyster.

Ka i‘a kuhi lima o ‘Ewa.
The gesturing fish of ‘Ewa.

Fisherman gathering pearl oysters would signal and gesture to one another rather than talk out loud.

Ka i‘a pani i ka waha o ke kanaka.
The fish that closes the mouth of men.

One needs to be quiet when gathering the pearl oyster.

Kokolo no o pipipi, o kalamoe me ālealea a ke alo o Kuhaimoana.
Pipipi, kalamoe and ālealea crept to the presence of Kuhaimoana.

Kuhaimoana is an important shark god, and pipipi, kalamoe and ālealea are shellfish. Said of hangers-on who gather around and important person for favors.

Ka i‘a kuehu ōkea.
The fish that scatters white sand.

Burrows made by the ‘ōhiki can be seen on many white sand Hawaiian beaches.

Ka i‘a lamalama i ke one.
The fish caught in the sand by torching.

Ka i‘a ‘ai pū me ka lepo.
The fish eaten with mud.

Refers to the clam; it still tastes “muddy” despite washing

Ka i‘a ‘eli i ka lepo.
The fish that digs in the mud

Hao mai ka makani kuakea ka moana; hao mai ke kai ku ke ko‘a i uka.
When the gales blow, the sea is white-backed; when the sea rises, corals are washed ashore.

Said of the rise of temper.

He po‘i na kai uli, kai ko‘o, ‘a‘ohe hina pūko‘a.
Though the sea be deep and rough, the coral rock remains standing.

Said of one who remains calm in the face of difficulty.

He pūko‘a kū no ka moana.
A large rock standing in the sea.

Said of a person who is unchangeable and very determined.

‘Ino ka moana ke ahu mōkākī nei ka puna i uka.
The sea is rough, for the corals are strewn on the beach.

Here are all the indications that there is trouble yonder.

Ka i‘a hō‘eha lima.
The fish that can hurt the hands.

Ka i‘a ‘umi i ka hanu.
The fish that holds the breath.

The fisherman holds his breath as he dives for wana.

Ka wana momona o Mokoli‘i.
The fat sea urchins of Mokoli‘i.

Mokoli’i is a small island off the windward coast of O‘ahu known for its wana.

Pua ka neneleau, momona ka wana.
When the neneleau blooms, the sea urchin is fat.

About the time when the hala fruit ripens is when the neneleau blooms. This was a sign that the wana was ready to be gathered.

Pala ka hala, momona ka hā‘uke‘uke.
When the pandanus fruit ripens, the hā‘uke‘uke sea urchin is fat.

Ua wela ka lā, ke ‘oni nei kukuna o ka hā‘uke‘uke.
The sun is too warm, for the spikes of the hā‘uke‘uke are moving.

Anger is growing, and those near the angry one are moving out of the way. The hā‘uke‘uke is a sea urchin.

Hāwa‘e kai nui.
Hāwa‘e full of liquid.

An ignoramus. Hāwa‘e is a short-spined sea urchin that is full of liquid and has no meat. Also expressed as Hāwa‘e ‘i‘o ‘ole (meatless hāwa‘e).

‘O ka iki hāwa‘e iho la no ia o Miloli‘i.
Here is the little sea urchin of Miloli‘i.

A boast. I am small but potent.

Thick with sea urchins in the sea of Kama‘ole.
Applied to a person laden with somebody else’s work.

A chief was once traveling along the beach at Kama‘ole, Kula, Maui. A woman, not recognizing him as a chief, asked him to carry her bundle of sea urchins, which he did. Other women came along and did likewise until the chief was loaded with them.

He i‘a laka no la ho‘i ka ‘ina.
The ‘ina is easily gathered.

A retort to a person who frequently says, “If I had this” or “If I had that.” A play on ‘ina (sea egg) and inā (if).

He akua ‘ai ‘opihi o Pele.
Pele is the goddess who eats limpets.

Pele was said to be fond of swimming and surfing. While doing so she would pause to eat seafood.

He i‘a make ka ‘opihi.
The ‘opihi is a fish of death.

The ‘opihi is usually found on rocks where the sea is rough, There is always danger of being washed away by the waves when gathering ‘opihi.

Ka iwi ‘opihi o ka ‘āina ‘ē.
‘Opihi shells from foreign lands.

Money.

Kūpihipihi loa kahi koena ‘opihi.
The remaining limpets have dwindled in size.

A modern saying- the finances have dwindled considerably.

Opihi kauwawe lehua o Hōpoe.
‘Opihi covered by the lehua blossoms of Hōpoe.

The fringes of lehua at Hōpoe fall into the sea, and are washed up over the rocks, hiding the ‘opihi.

Ahu ka hoka i Kapākai.
A heap of disappointment at Kapākai.

He leho hou kēia, ke ola nei no ka ‘i‘o.
This is a fresh cowery; the flesh is still alive.

A warning that a new idea or plan may turn out badly. When the animal in a shell dies, a stench results.

I ke alo no o ka lawai‘a la a pūkē hewa na leho, haki wale na kakala.
It was right in front of the fisherman that the cowry shells came together violently and the spikes broke off.

In spite of watchfulness, trouble occurs. The leho is a cowry- shell octopus lure fashioned with a spike on it.

Nani ka ‘ike a ka he‘e i na wahi leho li‘ili‘i.
It is wonderful how the octopus notices the little cowries.

Said sarcastically of a man who looks at young girls with lust.

Ka i‘a huli wale i ka pōhaku.
The fish that turns over the stones.

These shellfish cling to the underside of stones found in mountain streams.

Ka i‘a maunu ‘ole o ke kahawai.
The fish of the stream that requires no bait.

The wī is gathered without setting any bait.

Ka i‘a ‘imi i ka moana, na ka manu e ha‘i mai.
The fish sought for in the ocean, whose presence is revealed by birds.

The noio bird would gather at sea whereever a school of aku was.

Ka i‘a ho‘ohihia makau o ‘Āinahou.
The fish of ‘Āinahou that tangles the fishline.

The ‘alalauwā fish was known to come in great schools to Honolulu’s waterfront; so great were the number of people who would come to fish that their lines would get caught in one another.

Ka i‘a ‘ula weli i ke kai.
The red fish that causes a red color to show in the sea.

The ‘alalauwā fish was a small red fish. When it was seen in great numbers it was believed to be a sign of an upcoming death in the royal family.

Ka i‘a ka wāwae o Hīlia.
The fish of Hīlia, kicked by the feet.

Hīlea, Moloka‘i was an area where mullet often come in schools to shore. The fish would often be kicked ashore by people wading in the water.

Ka i‘a leo nui o Ke‘ehi.
The loud-voiced fish of Ke‘ehi.

Ke‘ehi Lagoon, O‘ahu is an area frequented by large schools of mullet. Fishermen talked and shouted as they drove the fish into their nets.

Ka i‘a pīkoi kānaka o Kālia; he kānaka ka pīkoi, he kānaka ka pōhaku.
The fish caught by the men of Kālia; men are the floaters, men are the sinkers.

Ke kai ka ‘anae o Ke‘ehi.
The mullet-driving sea of Ke‘ehi.

Mullet would swarm in schools to Ke‘ehi where they were driven up to the sand by striking the water.

Ka i‘a hali a ka makani.
The fish fetched by the wind.

The ‘anaeholo fish migrates along the windward coast of O‘ahu, from its breeding grounds in Honouliuli to Kaipāpa’u, swimming closer to shore when the wind is
strong.

Ka i‘a ‘au mai me he manu.
The fish that swims with the movements of a bird.

The turtle seems to “fly” as it swims through the ocean. The Hawaiian word for the turtle’s flippers is ‘eheu, which also happens to be the Hawaiian word for “wings.”

Ka i‘a lawe mai a ka makani, he lā‘au ka ‘upena e hei ai.
The fish brought in by the wind, a stick is the net to catch them with.

In certain locations turtles were driven ashore with sticks.

Ka i‘a ho‘āla i ka pō, wai lama i ke ahi.
The fish that wakes people up at night and causes a glowing of torches over the water.

Ka i‘a kaulana i ka waha o ka ‘ale.
The fish that rests over the furrows of the billows.

Ka i‘a lele me he manu.
The fish that flies like a bird.

Ka i‘a a ke kualau i lawe mai ai.
The fish brought in by the rain at sea.

Manini keiki or ‘ōhua were known to come after rain showers at sea during the kauwela” or summer months.

He kai pui nehu, puhi lala ke kai o ‘Ewa.
A sea that blows up nehu fish, blows up a quantity of them, is the sea of ‘Ewa.

He ua he‘e nehu no ka lawai‘a.
It is rain that brings nehu for the fishermen.

Rain oftentimes precedes the run of nehu.

Ke kai he‘e nehu o ‘Ewa.
The sea where the nehu come in schools to ‘Ewa.

Pearl Harbor, O‘ahu is an area where nehu come in swarms. They are “bait fish” and can be eaten either dry or fresh.

Ka i‘a a ka wai nui i lawe mai ai.
The fish borne along by the flood.

The ‘o‘opu fish often followed the flow of the river to the lowlands.

Ka i‘a hāhā i kahawai.
The fish groped for in streams.

‘O’opu were often caught with bare hands under rocks in streams.

Ka i‘a ho‘opā ‘ili kanaka o Waimea.
The fish of Waimea that touch the skins of people.

In Waimea, Kaua‘i during hinana (‘o‘opu keiki) season, the fish were so plentiful that it was said one could not enter the water without being touched by them.

Ka i‘a ka welelau o ke ahi.
The fish that lies on the top edge of the fire.

Wrapped in la’i (ti leaves), the ‘o’opu was laid on hot coals to cook.

Ka i‘a ko‘eko‘e o ka ‘ili i ka wai.
The fish that chills one’s skin in the water.

Ka i‘a mili i ka poho o ka lima.
The fish fondled by the palm of the hand.

Ka i‘a moe kahawai.
The fish that lies in the stream.

Ka i‘a loloa i ke kai.
The long fish of the sea.

Ka i‘a maunu lima o Kuloloia.
The hand-baited fish of Kuloloia.

The puhi ‘ōilo is a small eel which was caught by hand. Bait was placed in the open palm with fingers spread widely. Fishermen would quickly grab the eels by their heads tightly as they came up to take the bait from the palm.

Ka pali nānā uhu ka‘i o Makapu‘u.
The uhu-observing cliff of Makapu‘u.

Makapu‘u, O‘ahu was a favorite fishing spot for uhu.

Ka i‘a kāohi aho o na kai uli.
The fish of the deep that pulls a line taut.

Refers to the ulua and also to a handsome boy.

Ka i‘a ‘awa‘awa a ka haole.
The foreigner’s sour fish.

Salted salmon was introduced to Hawai‘i by foreigners and is now a welcome addition to a Hawaiian meal.