[8] The squid tend to travel in large schools of more or less uniform size [meaning] that it is often possible to follow the growth of cohorts from recruitment to spawning, although the earliest part of the life history is generally more difficult to study because the larvae are always pelagic and some are rarely caught".

Then, on the continuing journey south, the females "mature and spawn 300 to 4,000 small, elliptical or semi-spherical eggs."

When the squid mature more, they will eat mainly fish and crustaceans, but will also resort to cannibalism, especially when trapped in nets together.

Flying squids of the family Ommastrephidae have been observed to cover distances as long as 30 m[12] above the surface of the water, presumably to avoid predators or save energy as they migrate across vast expanses of ocean,[13] uniquely utilizing jet-propelled aerial locomotion.

[15] Many vertebrate predators depend heavily on squid, which is second only to krill as a food source in the Southern Ocean.

Japan is the largest consumer (mainly due to sushi) and exporter of the Japanese flying squid.

(See also surume) Japanese flying squid are caught all year round, but the largest and most popular seasons are from January to March, and again from June to September.

Other systems, such as gill nets, are usually less specific in what they catch, although some technological advances have involved larger openings to allow smaller animals to pass through.