A blood chemistry profile for lake trout Salvelinus namaycush was developed
by establishing baseline ranges for several clinical chemistry tests (gluc
ose, total protein, amylase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase
, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, calcium, and magnesium). Mea
surements were made accurately and rapidly with a Kodak Ektachem DT60 Analy
zer and the Ektachem DTSC Module. Blood serum was collected from both labor
atory-reared lake trout (1978 and 1986 year-classes) and feral spawning tro
ut from Lake Michigan and then analyzed in the laboratory. No clinically si
gnificant differences were found between samples analyzed fresh and those f
rozen for 1 or 6 weeks. The ranges in chemistry Variables for feral lake tr
out were generally wider than those for laboratory-reared lake trout, and s
ignificant differences existed between male and female feral lake trout for
several tests. Blood chemistry profiles also varied seasonally on fish sam
pled repeatedly.