spawning is thought to occur in may in new jersey; elsewhere, breeding individuals have been collected in march, april, and may. swamp darters are not bashful about spawning. they typically spawn in the same habitats where they are found. the male approaches a female from the rear, mounts her, and beats her with his pelvic fins. the female then leads the male into aquatic plants, where the eggs are deposited singly on leaves. no parental care of the eggs has been observed, and no information regarding the number of males with which females spawn and "vice versa". no fighting or display of territoriality is typically observed. for many populations of the swamp darter, maximum longevity is only one year, with very few individuals surviving two years.