ID needed for fish caught in Carolinas

This little fellow was swimming in open water in a Spartina marsh on the Outer Banks. He is about 1" long.

The little guy was visible from ten feet away, making no attempt to stick to the concealment of the grass, and was swimming so weakly I easily caught him in my hand. Figuring he was on his way out, I bagged him up with the intent of later preserving him. However, he seemed to become more lively after capture, so I decided to keep him as a pet. Any information about his identity and care is much appreciated.

I took some photos when I caught him, but they're all awful. I'll see if I can get a better shot soon.

All very true, Blueiz. However, I should point out: 1) this is definitely not any of the species prohibited for take by the NC coastal fisheries division, as I made sure I could recognize these before I went collecting, and 2) I collected him with the purpose of pickling him, and I will still do so if I am unable to care for him properly.

I consider myself a conservationist, and I do try to be responsible when I collect.

I'm not saying pickling the fish would be a direct boon to conservation of the species. Blueiz was pointing out that you should not take on an animal you cannot care for properly (which I whole-heartedly agree with); however, this animal was not collected primarily to be a pet but rather to be a teaching aid as part of a museum collection. I am merely giving it a reprieve by keeping it in a tank. Don't worry, if and when I decide to preserve the fish I will euthanize it as humanely as possible, with an overdose of MS-222.

The Outer Banks are one of my favorite places too. My dad lives down on Ocracoke, so I head out and visit him for a week or so in the summer.

No, I meant preserve it in a museum. Collecting the fish for a museum certainly does no more harm than collecting a fish for the pet trade or the dinner table, and probably does some good, as it helps in some small way to educate and inform future biologists.

If I had any reason to believe the fish was threatened or endangered, I would not have touched it, let alone collected it.