It is argued that alternate prey species in the diet of a food-limited generalist predator should
reduce each other's equilibrial abundances, whether or not they directly compete. Such
indirect, interspecific interactions are labeled apparent competition. Two examples are
discussed in which an observed pattern of habitat segregation was at first interpreted as
evidence for direct competition, but later interpreted as apparent competition resulting from
shared predation. In order to study the consequences of predator-mediated apparent …