Predicted to enable ferric iron binding activity and ferrous iron binding activity. Predicted to act upstream of or within intracellular iron ion homeostasis and iron ion transport. Predicted to be active in cytoplasm. Is expressed in blood; eye; liver; ovary; and testis. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in hemochromatosis type 5 and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. Orthologous to several human genes including FTH1 (ferritin heavy chain 1).