Spawning begins in April and can extend through June. At this time males gather into small spawning assemblages at the nest sites. When a female enters the area to spawn, all of the males apparently participate in fertilizing the eggs. The progeny seem to be capable of spawning by the following spring. The life span is 3 years.
Stable watersheds help maintain cool temperatures and minimize silt to the benefit of the species.
The fish was not found in low gradient silty streams nor in high gradient mountain tributaries. The status of this species is due primarily to the impacts of siltation, and the effects of acid mine drainage. In the case of coal mining, past unregulated activities have contributed to the decline of the blackside dace, but available information does not indicate that current mining activities continue to pose a threat when conducted in accordance with State and Federal regulations. The southern redbelly dace is a comparatively recent component of the upper Cumberland River Basin, but it is now present in many Basin streams. They found that the redbelly dace had become established in areas where the water and habitat quality had been altered to create warmer and more turbid conditions.