It is an abundant species which is currently caught mainly as a bycatch by fishing boats targeting other quarry.

The development of hooks on the arms does not occur until the animal reaches a mantle length of 35 to 45 mm.

[3] Gonatopsis borealis is found in the North Pacific Ocean, where its range extends from northern Japan at a latitude of roughly 37°N to 40°N through the Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea all along the Aleutian Islands into the Gulf of Alaska, south along the western coast of North America to California, even reaching Baja California at a latitude of 20°N.

[3] Gonatopsis borealis is an oceanic speciesand it is one of the most widely distributed and abundant species of the family Gonatidae.

It undertakes a diel vertical migration, moving up the water column at night, and for forming very large aggregations between the Spring and the early autumn, especially in both the eastern and western parts of its range.

The abundance of G. borealis is indicated by it accounting for up to 68% of squid catches in the Okhotsk Sea during the summer months.

Smaller animals undertook the diel migration to the surface layers earlier than the larger ones.

They also returned to depths sooner, possibly a behavioural adaptation to avoid the larger cannibalistic adults.

This species preys on a diverse variety of pelagic crustaceans such as euphausiids, hyperiid amphipods and copepods, as well as fishes and other squid.

Their predators include fish such as salmonids, walleye Pollock, pomfret, albacore and grenadiers, as well as the larger squid Berryteuthis magister and cannibalistic G. borealis.