Although spawning year-round, spawning peaks from mid-February to mid-May with a smaller peak from July to September. Spawning can also occur out of season in response to habitat disturbance such as earthquakes. During spawning brought upon by a disturbance, several males chase lone females until they become receptive, at which point the female allows one of the males to swim next to her. The female then lays an egg that the male immediately fertilizes. Devils Hole pupfish females have low fecundity, which is the capacity to create offspring. The average female may only produce four or five mature ova (egg cells) each breeding season. Mature ova represent 10-20% of the total number of ova produced. During each spawn, a mature female is thought to produce only a single egg, which are only in diameter. In addition to its low fecundity, eggs have low hatching success and juveniles have low rates of survival. Individuals have a lifespan of 10–14 months.