aled ▁today ▁by ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁L esser ▁Ant illes , ▁but ▁is ▁protected ▁by ▁several ▁international ▁treat ies . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁“ p il ot ▁wh ale ” ▁origin ated ▁with ▁an ▁early ▁theory ▁that ▁pod s ▁were ▁“ p il oted ” ▁by ▁a ▁leader . ▁Other ▁common ▁names ▁include ▁the ▁“ pot head ▁wh ale ” ▁( after ▁the ▁bul b ous ▁mel on ), ▁and ▁“ black fish ” ▁( a ▁catch - all ▁term ▁used ▁to ▁design ate ▁numerous ▁species ▁of ▁small , ▁dark - color ed ▁to oth ed ▁wh ales , ▁including ▁the ▁pyg my ▁s perm ▁wh ale ▁and ▁false ▁k iller ▁wh ale ). ▁ ▁World wide , ▁the ▁divers ity ▁of ▁mit och ond rial ▁DNA ▁in ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁low ▁relative ▁to ▁other ▁species ▁with ▁global ▁distributions . ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁study ▁found ▁a ▁unique ▁ha plot ype ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁region . ▁ ▁E volution ▁The ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ale ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁single ▁species ▁with ▁three ▁diver gent ▁types : ▁the ▁Sh i ho , ▁N ais a ▁and ▁Atlantic ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ales . ▁ ▁The ▁Sh i ho ▁and ▁N ais a ▁forms ▁are ▁actually ▁sub species ▁of ▁the ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ale , ▁with ▁the ▁Sh i ho ▁cla de ▁having ▁diver ged ▁approximately ▁ 1 7 . 5