Aquaman Metabolize Energy
Aquaman, also known as Arthur Curry, is a DC superhero who can manipulate water and breathe underwater. Aside from the common abilities of an underwater creature, Aquaman also demonstrated super strength in combat even underwater, whether by hand or with the help of a weapon. Although the character does not have a specific metabolism process mentioned in the comic, it is plausible to infer that he might rely on an extraordinarily high metabolic rate to sustain his intense physical feats[1].
 Since Aquaman lives underwater, there is a decrease in oxygen levels following the depth of the ocean. Therefore, Aquaman might have a highly developed anaerobic metabolism, which will allow him to generate energy without the presence of oxygen, such as through lactate fermentation. Some underwater sea creatures also have adapted to the ability to utilize anaerobic metabolism for their energy source, such as Loricifera. His muscle tissue could contain high concentrations of enzymes and substrates necessary for efficient anaerobic energy production.
Aquaman, essentially a marine mammal in human form, lacks the substantial fat reserves found in walruses or whales. Assuming that his body temperature is between 36°C to 37°C as normal humans do, he will have difficulty in oceans where temperatures rarely rise beyond 27°C and fall below 2°C in the depths. Still, his deficiency in body fat renders him vulnerable; in these icy underwater realms, he could succumb to hypothermia in a matter of hours. Despite lacking blubber-like deep-sea mammals, Aquaman compensates for his condition with the metabolism of a fish, enabling him to store nutrients for extended periods, counterbalancing the calories burnt in a typical day.Â
Aquaman's famed for being top-speed swimmers, leaving U-boats trailing that had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h), outpacing dolphins with a top speed of around 55 km/h, which is about 10 times their body length, and even matching torpedoes at a blistering 50 knots (92.6 km/h). In comparison, Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer, maintains 7.6 km/h for an hour, torching about 1,000 calories each racing hour[11]. Then, Aquaman would zap a whopping 1.4 million calories! Talk about an intense workout. To refuel, he'd need an energy-packed meal like tuna, but guess what? Tuna's are as swift as they come, meaning Aquamans have to expend more energy chasing them down. Adding to the challenge, as ocean acidity rises, his teeth enamel would dissolve, leaving him reliant on plankton for survival, necessitating constant grazing throughout the day just to keep going. Essentially, his only choice is constant eating unless he can find slower energy-rich prey than tuna.
Another possibility is that Aquaman has an amazing ability to take in nutrients straight from the seawater, this particular adaptation takes advantage of the wealth of nutrients found in seawater. Specialized microorganisms such as microalgae, marine phytoplankton, and thraustochytrids that thrive in the oceanic environment are housed in Aquaman's body. These microbes use the surrounding seawater to directly synthesize large amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to note that thraustochytrids are most likely to be safe for human consumption as it has been demonstrated in certain studies, compared with phytoplankton is typically the choice of food for smaller sea creatures such as shrimps, snails, and jellyfish. However, there is one example of phytoplankton specifically catered for larger mammals such as whales, which is zooplankton. In correlation with this, as Aquaman may have acquired an anaerobic metabolism, it is likely that he consumes the aforementioned creatures specifically thraustochytrids due to their ability to produce large amounts of enzymes aside from their other abilities.
