Are they trying to pair up?

[fishaddict]

I recently purshaced three 3" red terror cichlids.Little after I put them in my 90 gal. tank two of them started opening and extending their gills.and also going in circles.They don't seem to be atacking each other and their always hanging together.My question is do female and males open their gills in such way or just males?

 

[Marco Arroyo]

Well thats a deffend tool that fish have, because they try to look bigger than their real size.

 

[rxracer]

ive seen my con do that. i put him in the piranha tank and he chases off the 4 4" RBP.. i dont understand why they put up with it..