Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a multifunctional cytokine that participates in the immunity of the body. It is secreted by various immune cells such as monocytes and macrophages, and plays an important role in the development of various diseases such as tumor, infection and immune diseases. A variety of scleractinian fish IL-10 has been clonally expressed and has shown immunomodulatory effects, and there are a number of studies on the biological activity, mechanism of action, and regulatory mechanism of IL-10 in fish. To provide a reference for future studies and applications of fish IL-10, a literature review is conducted in terms of its genetic structure, transcriptional expression, origin and evolution, biological activities and functions, as well as fish IL-10 receptor and signaling pathway.