‘Zombie fish’ makes comeback in Australia The southern purple spotted gudgeon (North Central Catchment Management Authority) A fish that was thought to have gone extinct in 1998 has been found alive and well. The southern purple spotted gudgeon, native to parts of Australia, was declared extinct in Victoria more than 20 years ago, but two were found in Third Reedy Lake near the town of Kerang during a survey in late 2019. That prompted further research, which turned up nearly 80 more in nearby lakes, including 66 in one – Middle Reedy Lake – alone. “We couldn’t believe it when we started finding so many at Middle Reedy,” said Adrian Martins of the Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning.