chef andres avayu at piccolo restaurant in fort lauderdale says his customers line-up for tables when the specialty item is on the menu. >> you could grill it, sauteÉ i, bake it- like it's flavor, it's really versatile in how preparation is done. there is no right, there is no wrong. it's one of those fish that just is. >> reporter: one of his favorite recipes, lionfish tacos. and fisherman have noticed that catching lionfish can be profitable. commercial fisherman paul varian, says demand is increasing. even whole foods sells them, when available. >> they've become a pretty big part of my income. the last year or so, everybody's finally figured out that the guys who buy them from us, the restaurants, the consumers, everybody likes them and it's worth it. everybody's making money and the consumer is happy at the end. so now, the price has gone up. demand has gone way up. i have people calling me, i don't even know who they are, begging me to buy lionfish. and i'm like sorry, i'm just supplying the people i've been selling to for years. if i could shoot a thousand pounds a day i could