STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) - The catch of the day came as a shock to a group of marine wildlife educators in Stamford this week.

A curly 3-inch seahorse, unusual in northern waters, was found wiggling among the many fish they pulled up in a net this week from Long Island Sound for routine research.

The researchers, who work for SoundWaters in the Cove, have quarantined the animal and hope to determine whether it is a female or male.

They are not sure yet whether they will keep or release it.

The education center's officials say the tiny seahorses are native to parts of the Gulf of Mexico and Bermuda, but are rarely spotted in New England.

Wednesday's odd catch was the first seahorse that any of the researchers recalled finding in at least eight years.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://www.stamfordadvocate.com

AP-ES-08-30-08 1443EDT