Tattooing took place on all of the Cook islands, each having their own style. Some men were tattooed from the knees to the ankles with designs resembling boots. On Mangaia, however, they were tattooed from the shoulders to the elbows with zigzagging lines that referred to their ancestry, or with tribal symbols or depictions of a comet and tail. The comet represented the star Maurua, used as a navigational reference point by Polynesian mariners. Before entering battle for the first time, a warrior's face would be covered with series of three curved lines, which were intended to instil fear in the enemy, much like those of the Maori.

The Maori were not the only inhabitants of the South Ocean to treat their faces in this way. Warriors on the Cook Islands tattooed arcs on their faces before battle, but unlike the Maori, the designs were not unique to each warrior.