Scup can live a relatively long time, up to about 20 years, and are able to reproduce when they reach two years of age, when they're about 8 inches (20 cm) long. Individual scup spawn once a year, with females releasing an average of 7,000 eggs, which are fertilized externally. Their eggs and larvae are found in the water column in coastal waters during warmer months. As larvae mature, they settle to the seafloor and develop into juveniles. Scup migrate north and inshore to spawn in the spring, then migrate south and offshore in autumn as the water cools, arriving by December in offshore areas where they spend the winter.