The southern purple-spotted gudgeon has lost its natural habitat because of ongoing drought, says ABC Rural News.
Suzanne Keith from Waterfind Environment Fund hopes the fish will be able to breed in the refuges for release into the wild when the usual water flows return.
She says sites in the Adelaide Hills are under consideration.
"They're mostly related to the River Murray watershed where they naturally came from," she said.
Endangered Species in Drought Refuge
AUSTRALIA - A native fish feared to be near extinction will be put into temporary refuges in South Australia to help ensure its survival.