The invention discloses a target characteristic extraction method, identification method, extraction device and identification system for a synthetic aperture sonar image. The target characteristic extraction method includes the steps of extracting shadow geometrical characteristics which include the target shadow zone area, the perimeter zone contour length, the eccentricity ratio, shape parameters, direction values and the ratio of the largest width of a target to the largest width of a shadow, obtaining a characteristic space formed by the shadow geometrical characteristics, extracting the target normalization central moment, obtaining a characteristic space formed by the target normalization central moment, extracting statistical property parameter difference characteristics of a background, the target and the shadow, obtaining shape parameters and dimension parameters, then obtaining a characteristic space formed based on the statistical property parameter difference characteristics of the background, the target and the shadow, and forming a new characteristic space formed by the three characteristic spaces. According to the target characteristic extraction method and identification method for the synthetic aperture sonar image, an underwater object can be effectively represented, and detection and identification of the synthetic aperture sonar image are facilitated.