The false boarfish (Neocyttus helgae) is a species of fish in the family Oreosomatidae (oreos).
The false boarfish is dark grey in colour, with a maximum length of . It has 6âÂÂ7 dorsal spines, 34âÂÂ35 dorsal soft rays, 3âÂÂ4 anal spines and 31âÂÂ32 anal soft rays. It is diamond-shaped, with a protruding small mouth and large spiny rays present at the anterior edges of the fins.
Neocyttus helgae is bathypelagic, living at depths of in the North Atlantic Ocean, being found off Madeira and Ireland and in the Cantabrian Sea.
The false boarfish feeds off zooplankton and raises its dorsal spine as a territorial display. It feeds near to Paragorgia coral.