Gonodactylus smithii reproduce all year long, but breeding is more concentrated during warmer months. They are generally monogamous, though some are polygynous. Males usually pursue females in their native habitats. Initially, males, using an external copulation organ, insert gonadopods into female gonadopores. Sperm is released, with females holding the males briefly. Females then release both the males and their eggs, with fertilization occurring. Males typically leave after copulation and do not invest in the females nor their offspring. Females are oviparous, laying eggs that eventually hatch.
