The alpine newt was first described in 1768 by Austrian zoologist Laurenti, as Triton alpestris, from the Ötscher mountain in the Austrian Alps (alpestris meaning alpine in Latin). He used that name for a female and described the male (Triton salamandroides) and the larva (Proteus tritonius) as different species. Later, the alpine newt was placed in the genus Triturus along with most other European newts. When genetic evidence showed that this genus contained several unrelated lineages, the alpine newt was split off by García-París and colleagues as the monotypic genus Mesotriton in 2004, which had been erected as a subgenus by Bolkay in 1928. The name Ichthyosaura was already introduced in 1801 by Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille for Proteus tritonius, the larva of the alpine newt.:310 It therefore has priority over Mesotriton and is the valid genus name.:9-10 Ichthyosaura, Greek for fish lizard, refers to a nymph-like creature in classical mythology.