TF and infection: To that end, we focused on five candidate proteins that are known to be upregulated upon infection or inflammatory challenge in fish species, including hepcidin (HEPC)42,43, the hemopexin named warm acclimation protein 65 kDa (HPX/WAP65-2)44–47, ntelectin (ITLN)48–50, serum amyloid A protein (SAA)43,51–54 and serum transferrin (TRFE)55–57.