Résumé
Four species ofSynodontella, including three new, are reported from three species ofSynodontis(S. ocellifer,S. nigrita, andS. velifer) from north-western Cote d'Ivoire.Synodontella melanopteraDossou & Euzet, 1993 was found on the gills ofS. nigritaandS. veliferand was already known from the gills ofS. melanopterusin Benin and the gills ofS. obesusandS. rebeliin Cameroon. The new species areSynodontella speroadoteviin. sp. fromS. nigrita(type-host),S. veliferand S.ocellifer, andSynodontella bagoueensisn. sp. andSynodontella akengboin. sp., both fromS. velifer(type-host for both),S. nigritaandS. ocellifer. The new species differ from the other species ofSynodontellamainly in the morphology of their male copulatory organs (MCO):Synodontella speroadoteviihas a two-part penis (one being a hollow tube and the other a flattened tube);Synodontella bagoueensishas a wide G-shaped penis with a sub-terminal opening; andSynodontella akengboihas a simple narrow J-shaped penis.Synodontella speroadoteviidiffers fromSynodontella bagoueensisandSynodontella akengboiin the shape of the dorsal transverse bar, which shows no protuberance, and also in the morphology of the MCO.Synodontella bagoueensisdiffers from the other two species in that it has a dorsal transverse bar that is V-shaped and a G-shaped MCO.Synodontella akengboidiffers from the two other species in having a J-shaped MCO and in the size of its ventral and dorsal anchors which, contrary to the other two species, are almost similar.