skates no longer eat crustaceans that once were the majority their diet when they were younger. This change of diet is also seen in the skate species Sympterygia acuta, which follows a very similar diet pattern to New Zealand smooth skate. The diet of mature D. innominatus is largely made up of shrimp, prawns, and fish coming from 17 different families. The most common of these species were found to be hoki, a deepwater cod species, and many different species of discarded fish from the commercial fishing industry. Predation Little information is known on the predation, parasites, and diseases affecting D. innominatus. Marine mammals, especially seals, are known to feed on other species of skate, so the assumption that New Zealand marine mammals would do the same is not unrealistic. Skates are part of seals' diets, though this may be underestimated in the data, as skates do not have bony parts that are easily identified when seal stomachs are surveyed. Predation on skate egg cases by gastropods has been recorded to affect some skate species. Fishing has an impact on New Zealand smooth skate populations, so humans act as predators. New Zealand smooth skate is often caught as bycatch in the commercial fishing industry targeting hoki. Conservation status In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the New Zealand smooth skate as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier "Conservation Dependent" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. References Dipturus Endemic marine fish of New Zealand Fish described in 1974