The range extends from France and the West African coast to the Bear Seamount off New England, the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Sargasso Sea and northern Brazil.

[5] In 1921, a resident of Funchal, Madeira, Senor de Noronha, gave an account of what is believed to be the first recording of the species from the Atlantic Ocean:[3] The cephalopod in question has been captured by myself in the sheltered quay of this city of Funchal, called the Quay of Pontinha, during the months of July, August, and September.

With a certain alacrity one may catch them with the aid of a little wire basket, because these animals come almost to the surface of the water, being distinguishable by the brilliancy of a bluish phosphorescence which they cause to gleam from their eyes.The midwater squid remains at great depths where no light penetrates during the day, in order to avoid predators.

It is thought that their purpose is to make the squid less visible as a dark silhouette when viewed from below in dim light.

[6] The squid monitors the temperature of the water as a guide to regulating the emission spectra of the light it needs to emit to closely mimic the scintillating surface of the sea.