[ Xenk had thought about it, maybe for a few seconds, before deciding he wouldn't judge. That's just the kind of guy he is. ]

They have very different tentacles. Mind flayers are more squid-like in appearance, and take the forms of either large, tentacled brains, or the clawed bodies of men with a squid in place of a head. Knistej is clearly a large, sentient octopode. It would be prejudicial to judge one for the other, with such obvious differences.

[ He says this like it's the most obvious thing in the world. How could anyone possibly confuse an octopus for a squid? ]