▁sn ails , ▁br ist le ▁w orm s , ▁ce phal op ods , ▁and ▁small ▁to ▁medium - s ized ▁fish ▁( such ▁as ▁sand ▁e el , ▁flat fish , ▁mon k fish , ▁cat sh arks , ▁sp urd og , ▁and ▁other ▁sk ates ). ▁The ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁can ▁affect ▁its ▁di et . ▁Lar ger ▁ones ▁eat ▁larger ▁things ▁like ▁fish . ▁The ▁bigger ▁the ▁sk ate ▁is , ▁the ▁more ▁food ▁will ▁be ▁needed ▁to ▁sust ain ▁its ▁large ▁body ▁size . ▁The ▁activity ▁level ▁determ ines ▁how ▁much ▁it ▁e ats ; ▁the ▁more ▁active ▁it ▁is , ▁the ▁more ▁it ▁e ats . ▁ ▁The ▁common ▁sk ate ▁does ▁not ▁only ▁feed ▁on ▁cre atures ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁ocean , ▁as ▁some ▁do ▁asc end ▁to ▁feed ▁on ▁m acker el , ▁her ring , ▁and ▁other ▁pel ag ic ▁fish , ▁which ▁are ▁caught ▁by ▁rapidly ▁moving ▁up ▁from ▁the ▁se ab ed ▁to ▁grab ▁the ▁pre y . ▁ ▁Th re aten ed ▁status ▁The ▁common ▁sk ate ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁a ▁crit ically ▁end anger ed ▁species ▁by ▁the ▁IU CN ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁threatened ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁and ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea . ▁The ▁common ▁sk ate ' s ▁population ▁has ▁dr ast ically ▁decre ased ▁because ▁of ▁over f ishing ▁and ▁it ▁likely ▁will ▁disappear ▁entirely ▁unless ▁more ▁is ▁done ▁to ▁preserve ▁it . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁both ▁been ▁target ed ▁directly ▁and