Human beings establish multiple forms of relationship with marine animals, in some cases through their capture. We discuss the constant confusions generated by definitions of the categories of marine capture, especially fishing, hunting and gathering. We propose a classification that considers capture as an interspecies relationship between human and animal, considering the multiple perspectives and agents involved. The proposal is exemplified by a case study of the littoral society of the Atacama Desert between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, through information contained in written documents. Finally, we discuss the applicability of the proposal to these populations, in order to conceptually refine the definition and enrich the debate about relationships between humans and marine animal in the Atacama Desert littoral, and also outside the region.