Insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) are two highly homologous mitogenic peptides that are expressed ubiquitously and show diverse effects on development, growth, and metabolism. The cDNA encoding IGF-I of a teleost, the orange spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) was produced from liver by RT-PCR, and rapid amplification of cDNA ends, RACE. Typically, the deduced 186 amino acid protein contains a signal peptide, B, C, A, D and E domains. On the amino acid level, grouper IGF-I shares 97.3% similarity with black seabream (Sparus macrocephalus) with the differences focusing on the B and C domains. The analysis of the E domain showed that grouper IGF-I belonged to Ea-4 type. When mature amino acid sequence was compared with other vertebrates, it revealed higher similarity with black seabream and halibut, while lower similarity with human and mouse. The expression of IGF-I mRNA in adult tissues was studied using RT-PCR. IGF-I mRNA expression level in the liver was significantly higher than those in the brain and muscles. In other tissues, low amount of IGF-I mRNA expression was also detected. The coding region of IGF-I cDNA for mature IGF-I protein was subcloned into an expression plasmid pTRX and fused with E. coli thioredoxin (Trx). Moreover, we have successfully developed an expression system in E. coli to overproduce recombinant grouper IGF-I. Using western blotting, we found that the fusion protein could blot with antiserum to barramundi IGF-I further confirming the immunoactivity of the recombinant IGF-I.