Prawn growth in intensive culture ponds depends upon the cultured species and internal (nutrition state) and external (pond condition) factors. To obtain growth taxa in aquaculture for the "canela" prawn (Macrobrachium amazonicum), experiments were carried out at Amapá and Pernambuco, Brazil. The initial prawn population of Amapá ponds carne from different places of the Amazon river, while those from Pernambuco from hatcheries of the Departamento de Oceanografia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Physico-chemical and biological analyses of the water were made at the same time. The growth rate was estimated through collections of samples of about 10% of the initial population, with measures of the orbital length of each individual. Ponds' harvests were done when most of the population presented an orbital length equal to or larger than 80 mm. The present results showed 70 mm average size after 3-4 months of the post-larvae settlement to be the ideal for harvesting, favouring the utilization of this species for intensive aquaculture. Data on correlation, orbital and total growth, and weight gain were obtained during prawn growth.