Marlin is a clownfish who lives in an anemone in the Great Barrier Reef. His wife, Coral, and almost all of their eggs are killed in a barracuda attack. Only one damaged egg remains, which Marlin names Nemo. Some time later, Marlin is overprotective of Nemo, born with a stunted right fin. On Nemo's first day of school, Marlin embarrasses Nemo, and the two argue. While Marlin is talking to Nemo's teacher, Nemo defiantly approaches a nearby speedboat, where a pair of scuba divers capture him. Marlin pursues the boat in vain and meets Dory, a blue tang with acute short-term memory loss, who offers her help. The two encounter Bruce, Anchor, and Chum, three sharks who have sworn to abstain from eating fish. Marlin discovers a diver's mask that fell from the boat; he accidentally hits Dory with it, giving her a nosebleed. The scent sends Bruce into a feeding frenzy, but they flee after accidentally setting off a ring of old naval mines, which knock Marlin and Dory unconsciou