American scientists are rescuing rare minmows from a shrinking river in drought-plagued U.S. state of Texas, local media reported on Friday.

Wildlife biologists collected thousands of smalleye and sharpnose shiners from the Brazos River, the longest river in Texas, and would take them to the state's fish hatchery, according to the newspaper Houston Chronicle.

The lack of water means the fish do not have the 100 miles of river they need to reproduce.

Both smalleye and sharpnose shiners, which are found only in the Brazos River, are candidates to be listed as threatened or endangered species, the newspaper said.

Earlier, scientists already made a fish rescue effort in Texas.

Large fish rescues could become more common for fish, reptiles and amphibians as the drought persists in Texas, a state that is home to 86 endangered or threatened species.

Texas continued to be suffering from historic drought, as wildfires raged through the state and water shortages devastated crop production and livestock herds.

The big agricultural state is going through the longest dry period on record with losses estimated at more than 5 billion U.S. dollars.