[It's a good thing that Michael finally catches up and apologizes, because while the young man seems knowledgeable and open-minded, the ice alien is really not sure how he feels about being compared to simple-minded invertebrates or a fish with an unflattering name. He frowns, but gradually nods.] ...I see. Well, at least you are not repulsed by the idea of something functioning differently from you, and I cannot fault you for trying to contextualize something with information that you already know. I do like learning about other worlds.

[Perhaps there's some commonality there, now that he thinks about it.]