Some cephalopods are able to fly through the air for distances of up to 50 metres (160 ft). While cephalopods are not particularly aerodynamic, they achieve these impressive ranges by jet-propulsion; water continues to be expelled from the funnel while the organism is in the air. The animals spread their fins and tentacles to form wings and actively control lift force with body posture. One species, Todarodes pacificus, has been observed spreading tentacles in a flat fan shape with a mucus film between the individual tentacles, while another, Sepioteuthis sepioidea, has been observed putting the tentacles in a circular arrangement.
I’m just conjecturing, mind you. Nothing truly serious. That said:
I think that individual lifespan plays a small role on this. The main issue is that they don’t care about their young and their typical lonely behaviour.
I’m saying this because a lot of our (human) strength is not individual. It’s the small things that we do that give a tiny bit more power to the ones around them, and to the next generations. Those things pile up, and yet for cephalopods there’s nothing remotely similar to that. (Cetaceans come closer, but their ability to change the environment around them is a bit handicapped. Or rather flippercapped.)