“Cannibalism may seem like nature’s way of coping with Florida’s growing lionfish invasion, but it is unlikely to offer a cure,” says National Geographic. With its voracious appetite, the fish is considered “the most destructive exotic species” in the waters off Florida and the Caribbean. The lionfish also is a prolific breeder. Nat Geo says researchers are trying to determine if cannibalism is a lionfish response to depletion of its food supply. Cannibalism is rare among reef fish but does occur in some species. Data on lionfish is limited, so researchers cannot say if cannibalism is increasing or decreasing. Lionfish appeared on Florida’s Atlantic coast in the late 1980s. From there, they spread to the Bahamas, throughout the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico.