Squid and octopus are known to be extremely important organisms in the Antarctic ecosystem. They are prey for sperm whales, seals, penguins, sea birds and fishes. The Southern Hemisphere population of sperm whales consumes, for example, about 50 million tonnes of squid each year, an amount approximating to 75 per cent of the world's current annual fisheries catch.

As predators, the cephalopods could perhaps consume about 100 million tonnes of Antarctic krill per year. It is difficult to assess the resource potential of cephalopods, which are strong swimmers with net-avoidance capabilities that have prevented adequate sampling for biological study. Special sampling efforts will be required to fill in the gap of knowledge that exists for these organisms.