{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = Neocyttus helgae 2.jpg | image_caption = | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status = LC | status_ref=<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Smith-Vaniz, W.F. |author2=Carpenter, K.E. |author3=de Morais, L. |author4=Harold, A. |author5=Knudsen, S. |year=2015 |title=''Neocyttus helgae'' (Europe assessment) |article-number=e.T18257722A45792703 |doi= |access-date=30 November 2024}}</ref> | taxon = Neocyttus helgae | authority = (Holt & Byrne, 1908) | synonyms = *''Cyttosoma helgae'' {{small|Holt & Byrne, 1908}} *''Crassispinus granulosus'' {{small|Maul, 1948}} | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{Cite taxon |WoRMS |id=127423 |title=''Neocyttus helgae'' (Holt & Byrne, 1908)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wH3MBQAAQBAJ&q=%22Neocyttus+helgae%22&pg=PA1110|title=Early Stages of Atlantic Fishes: An Identification Guide for the Western Central North Atlantic, Two Volume Set|first=William J.|last=Richards|date=August 8, 2005|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-0-203-50021-7|via=Google Books}}</ref> }}

The '''false boarfish''' ('''''Neocyttus helgae''''') is a species of fish in the family Oreosomatidae (oreos).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZj5DwAAQBAJ&q=%22Neocyttus+helgae%22&pg=PA72|title=Natural Capital and Exploitation of the Deep Ocean|first1=Maria|last1=Baker|first2=Eva|last2=Ramirez-Llodra|first3=Paul|last3=Tyler|date=August 27, 2020|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-884165-4|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fBcwDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Neocyttus%22&pg=PA347|title=Deep-Sea Fishes: Biology, Diversity, Ecology and Fisheries|first=Imants G.|last=Priede|date=August 10, 2017|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-316-03345-6|via=Google Books}}</ref>

==Description== The false boarfish is dark grey in colour, with a maximum length of {{Cvt|30.5|cm}}. It has 6–7 dorsal spines, 34–35 dorsal soft rays, 3–4 anal spines and 31–32 anal soft rays. It is diamond-shaped, with a protruding small mouth and large spiny rays present at the anterior edges of the fins.<ref>{{Cite taxon |fishbase |genus=Neocyttus |species=helgae |title=''Neocyttus helgae'' (Holt & Byrne, 1908) {{!}} False boarfish}}</ref><ref>{{GBIF |id=2415350 |title=''Neocyttus helgae'' (Holt & Byrne, 1908)}}</ref>

==Habitat== [[File:Faroe stamp 249 false boarfish (neocyttus helgae).gif|thumb|The false boarfish on a Faroese stamp; it is called by its Faroese name ''rútar kongur'' ("king of diamonds").<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XfvZ9J4oABwC&q=%22r%C3%BAtar%22+faroese&pg=PA468|title=Føroysk-Ensk ordabók: with Faroese folk-lore and proverbs: and a section by W.B. Lockwood on Faroese pronunciation|date=July 7, 1985|publisher=Nám|isbn=978-0-907715-22-1|via=Google Books}}</ref>]] ''Neocyttus helgae'' is bathypelagic, living at depths of {{Cvt|915|-|1829|m}} in the North Atlantic Ocean,<ref name="auto">{{cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232678950 |doi=10.3374/0079-032X(2008)49[31:FBNHIT]2.0.CO;2 |title=False Boarfish Neocyttus helgae in the Western North Atlantic |year=2008 |last1=Moore |first1=Jon A. |last2=Auster |first2=Peter J. |last3=Calini |first3=Danielle |last4=Heinonen |first4=Kari |last5=Barber |first5=Kimberly |last6=Hecker |first6=Barbara |journal=Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History |volume=49 |pages=31–41 |s2cid=131497848 }}</ref> being found off Madeira and Ireland and in the Cantabrian Sea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F6obAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Neocyttus+helgae%22|title=Cybium|date=July 7, 2008|publisher=Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Laboratoire d'ichtyologie générale et appliquée|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=fnam&id=2227|title=Marine Species Identification Portal: False boarfish - Neocyttus helgae|website=species-identification.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://bioone.org/journals/bulletin-of-the-peabody-museum-of-natural-history/volume-49/issue-1/0079-032X(2008)49%5B31%3AFBNHIT%5D2.0.CO%3B2/False-Boarfish-Neocyttus-helgae-in-the-Western-North-Atlantic/10.3374/0079-032X(2008)49[31:FBNHIT]2.0.CO;2.short |doi=10.3374/0079-032X(2008)49[31:FBNHIT]2.0.CO;2|issn=0079-032X |year=2008 |volume=49 |page=31 |title=False Boarfish Neocyttus helgae in the Western North Atlantic |last1=Moore |first1=Jon A. |last2=Auster |first2=Peter J. |last3=Calini |first3=Danielle |last4=Heinonen |first4=Kari |last5=Barber |first5=Kimberly |last6=Hecker |first6=Barbara |journal=Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History |s2cid=131497848 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Behaviour== The false boarfish feeds off zooplankton and raises its dorsal spine as a territorial display.<ref name="auto"/> It feeds near to ''Paragorgia'' coral.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zwg3Ro9QGfQC&q=%22Neocyttus+helgae%22&pg=PA767 |title=Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems |first1=André |last1=Freiwald |first2=J. Murray |last2=Roberts |date=January 17, 2006 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-540-27673-9 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} {{Commons category|Neocyttus helgae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q604032}}

Category:Oreosomatidae Category:Fish described in 1908 Category:Taxa named by Ernest William Lyons Holt

{{Zeiformes-stub}}