Samples were collected monthly from Xujiahe Reservoir from April 1992 to May 1996 and the ovarian development and spawning pattern in Neosalanx pseudotaihuensis Zhang were described. A histological analysis of oocyte development in N. pseudotaihuensis shows that the fish spawns serially. A six-stage maturity scale, based on both external morphology and oocyte composition, was proposed to classify ovarian development in N. pseudotaihuensis. Monthly trends in stages in ovarian development with the size and maturity of oocytes indicate that spawning extended from March to May and peaked between mid-April and mid-May. Histology of ovarian shows that N. pseudotaihuensis produced clutch-es of eggs, which were released at intervals. Data on length-frequencies and gonads shows that N. pseudotaihuensis typically died in a few weeks after last spawning.