The spawning season in the Mediterranean runs from April to September, or August to November in the central Mediterranean and the eggs and fry are planktonic, the juveniles are often recorded in very shallow waters.[1][2][6] S. chrysotaenia is a relatively short-lived species with a maximum age of 5 years old.[7] S. chrysotaenia reaches sexual maturity at a total length of 195mm for females and 197.1mm for males, usually at 2 years old.[6]