The gun squid preys on small crustaceans such as telopods and mysids at the infant and juvenile stages. To the adult stage mainly prey on blue round fish cucumber, sardines, krill, eagle-clawed shrimp and hairy shrimp, and also prey on moray eels, dogfish, shrimp mayflies, pike crabs and so on. In the growth stage of Chinese squid, the feeding intensity is high and the stomach is rich in substance. In the reproductive stage, feeding intensity is low, especially in the breeding season, the empty stomach rate is quite high, sometimes up to about 50%. The Chinese gun squid's habit of killing each other is obvious, and the broken wrists and remains of the same species can often be found in the stomach contents.
There are six main fishing grounds for Chinese gun squid:
1. The offshore fishing grounds of Guangxi, Guangdong, southwestern Taiwan and southern Fujian, China, including the northern fishing grounds of the northern Gulf of Tonkin, are mainly fished in the spring and fall; the fishing grounds around Hainan Island, the fishing grounds of South Penghu Island, the fishing grounds of Penghu Islands, and the fishing grounds of southern Fujian, are mainly fished in the summer and fall.
2. Fishing grounds in the southern part of Beibu Gulf are mainly fished in the fall.
3. Gulf of Thailand Fishing Ground Mainly fished by trawl, with a fishing period of two years.
4. Central Philippine Islands Fishing Ground Includes the shallow sea fishing ground between the islands along the coast of Visayan Sea, Samar Sea, Bohol Strait, Guimaras Strait, and Saranga Bay, which can be fished on an annual basis, or in spring, summer, and fall.
5. Arafura Sea Fishery A newly developed fishery.
6. Queensland fishery in eastern Australia is a newly developed fishery.