We extend the analysis of Bok et al. (2020) in which the H I content of isolated galaxies from the AMIGA (Analysis of the interstellar Medium in Isolated GAlaxies) sample and selected paired galaxies from ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) were examined as a potential driver of galaxy location on the WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mid-infrared SFR–M⋆ sequence. By further characterizing the isolated and pair galaxy samples, i.e. in terms of optical galaxy morphology, a more detailed and quantitative description of local galaxy environment by way of the local number density (η) and tidal strength (Q) parameters, star formation efficiency (SFEH I), and H I integrated profile asymmetries, we present plausible pathways for the broadening of the pair sample H I deficiency distribution towards both high and low deficiencies compared to the narrower isolated galaxy sample distribution (i.e. σPAIRS = 0.34 versus σAMIGA = 0.28). We associate the gas-rich tail of the pair deficiency distribution with the highest Q values, large profile asymmetries, and low SFEs. From this, we infer that merger activity is enhancing gas supplies, as well as disrupting the efficiency of star formation, via strong gravitational torques. The gas-poor wing of the deficiency distribution appears to be populated with galaxies in denser environments (with larger η values on average), more akin to groups. Despite our gas-rich selection criterion, there is a small population of early-type galaxies in the pair sample, which primarily fall in the positive deficiency wing of the distribution. These results suggest that a combination of a denser galaxy environment, early-type morphology, and higher stellar mass is contributing to the broadening of the deficiency distribution towards larger deficiencies. © 2022 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society., This work is based on the research supported in part by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (grant number UIDs: 101099 and 111745). JB additionally acknowledges support from the DST-NRF Professional Development Programme (PDP) and the University of Cape Town. MC is a recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project number FT170100273) funded by the Australian Government. THJ acknowledges funding from the National Research Foundation under the Research Career Advancement and South African Research Chair Initiative programmes, respectively. We acknowledge the work of the entire ALFALFA team for observing, flagging, and performing signal extraction. MGJ was supported by a Juan de la Cierva formación fellowship (FJCI-2016-29685) from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (MCIU). MGJ also acknowledges support from the grants AYA2015-65973-C3-1-R (MINECO/FEDER, UE) and RTI2018-096228-B-C31 (MCIU). This work has been supported by the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the ‘Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa’ award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). This publication makes use of data products from the WISE, which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This work also utilizes data from ALFALFA survey data set obtained with the Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA) on the Arecibo 305 m telescope. Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, which is operated by Cornell University under Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation. Funding for the SDSS and SDSS-II has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS website is http://www.sdss.org/. In addition, we make use of data from the SDSS (SDSS DR7). The SDSS is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions. The Participating Institutions are the American Museum of Natural History, Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, University of Basel, University of Cambridge, Case Western Reserve University, University of Chicago, Drexel University, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, the Korean Scientist Group, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (LAMOST), Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, Ohio State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington. LVM acknowledges financial support from the grant IAA4SKA (Ref. R18-RT-3082) from the Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities Council of the Regional Government of Andalusia and the European Regional Development Fund from the European Union.